The Assassin of Yellow Diamond
by A Blast of Fanfics
Summary: (With Permission from Minijen) Dipper and Pacifica has been dating for weeks. Then, a Topaz steals him away from her. When he returns, he is not the same. He has a mechanical arm, he can't remember who he is, and he will do anything to kill supporters of Rose Quartz. Can Pacifica help bring him back or will he always be an assassin? (Based off of The Count of Monte Cristo Musical)
1. A Story Told

**A/N Hey guys! I am truly the sidetracked writer. I got inspiration for this story from listening to "The Count of Monte Cristo" for days and reading Stonemason angst stuff. Minijen is truly a great writer. In all honesty, reading Universe Falls helped me get out of my writer's block and inspired most of my stories so if you have a chance, check her out. Stonemason was suggested to her by another person (if you are reading this, I'm afraid I don't know your name, sir or madam. I will give you credit where credit is due.) and she is considering putting it in the sequel.**

 **This story will have many musical numbers. Mostly, this story will focus on how Pacifica and Dipper's relationship is put to the test through the Stonemason arc and the aftermath. Since I am challenging myself to make as many of the songs fit as possible, there are two things I have to point out. First, the arc will be different than how Minijen would do it. In a way, I like this, since it will kind of make it my own. In fact, I came up with my own storyline and plot twists and stuff that are probably not going to be in UF (unless me and Minijen accidentally communicated with telekinetic powers and we both came up with the same ideas). Also, my storyline will be different than the SU Wanted Arc so... that's cool...Second, suspension of disbelief. I know, I shouldn't have to say that but some of the characters might act differently or some places might be used when they shouldn't be (Ex: Northwest Manor is still owned by the Northwest's). Remember, I am doing this for your entertainment. As much as I am trying to make ends meet, I can't smooth out everything. Anyways, Have fun and listen to some fabulous music!**

Pacifica hummed to herself as she climbed the hill next to Steven's family barn. She had been told to meet Dipper there. She smiled as she climbed. It was really quite a peaceful song that she hummed, full of hope towards the future. It matched her feelings. She looked down at her clothing, wondering if it were too plain. Even her most plain clothes were fashionable. She wore the most popular jeans and the llama sweater Mabel had given her during Weirdmageddon. Strangely enough, she was growing attached to it. She even started liking it.

When she reached the top of the hill, her smile brightened upon seeing that only Dipper was there. He had a picnic blanket underneath him and beside him was the lunch that he had made for the two of them. He turned to look at her, a small smile on his face too. He had his usual outfit on, which Pacifica had learned to admire. She came towards him and sat on the blanket set out before her as they looked over the clearing that they could see from this fairly big hill.

"And I thought you made me climb this hill for nothing." Pacifica stated, teasingly. "I would've had to make another trip to get lunch."

"Yeah. Well, I decided to save you the trip." Dipper retorted playfully as he took out half of a sandwich and offered it to Pacifica.

She accepted it and took a bite out of the sandwich. It wasn't bad, actually. It wasn't as good as the sandwiches she was rarely served at home, but the kind gesture was enough for her to look past it.

"You know, if you keep this up, you might _just_ get onto my list of favorite people." She said, slyly.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that there hasn't been a threat of a Gem invasion for a while, so I might be able to meet you here for lunch more often." He looked at her with a friendly smile. "Maybe I'll get onto your list sooner than later."

She laughed a bit before responding. "Pff. Yeah right, silly boy." Then, she got close to Dipper, took off his hat, and ruffled his hair. He put his hands to his hair to act like he wanted it to stop, when he really didn't. She stopped and as he straightened out his hair, she put on his blue hat with a tree on it.

"You know, I think I look good in this." She said in almost amazement, as if she thought it wouldn't. Of course, Dipper knew that she would look good in his hat. She took it off and she gave it back to him. Then, after all the laughter and playing, Dipper took out his lunch and they both ate in peaceful silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, something that Dipper was used to, but rather a content silence. Both kids sat on the hill, looking out at the surrounding landscape. They both loved each other and they both knew it. And since they both knew it, they didn't need to say it.

"So, how's your parents treating you?" Dipper asked with a small friendly smile. This was often a question he asked whenever they met. He knew how demanding and controlling Pacifica was. Ever since the Northwest Manor incident, things had changed between Pacifica and her parents. They weren't as controlling as usual. Still, there was always the threat that they would control her life again.

"You know. The usual." She answered, almost as if it were a habit. "No bell, no problem." Despite her answer, she seemed to look across the hill with forlornness in her gaze. Dipper took notice and immediately acted.

"What's wrong? Tell me the truth." Dipper looked at Pacifica but she refused to look back as she looked down at her feet.

Pacifica sighed. "Call me crazy but... I can't help but worry that this freedom might not last."

"But... your parents know now that you are a capable girl. You saved their lives and... and my life." Dipper protested as Pacifica turned suddenly to look at Dipper, eye-to-eyes.

"That's the problem, Dipper! It has been weeks since the Northwest Incident and my parents might forget and try to control me again!" She cried out before she brought her knees to her chest and looked down in regret. "Then, I'll become just like every other Northwest that has ever lived."

Dipper, determined to make Pacifica feel better, immediately got closer to the distraught girl. "Look, Pacifica. Look around you."

Pacifica did indeed look around her. It was truly beautiful. The grass was a nice summer green on the hill. The small lake near the barn glistened and shimmered in the light and flowers were blooming around the clearing. The forest seemed quiet, as if the forest was still asleep and needed to be awakened. The nicest par, however, was that she was sitting next to Dipper. She loved Dipper and he loved her. The fact that they were both experiencing this together was a beautiful thing.

"Do you think a Northwest would do this?!" Pacifica looked at Dipper, her remorseful eyes meeting his determined gaze. "Have you ever heard of a Northwest sitting on top of a hill, in the middle of nowhere, far away from the Northwest Manor, simply watching nature with a normal, insignificant boy?"

Pacifica smiled a little. "You know, I might argue with that last one." She looked at Dipper, who realized the humor in it too. Dipper may be normal in the fact that he was normal, but he wasn't exactly insignificant. He helped defeat a one-eyed triangle demon. In other words, he was normal, but his life was anything but normal and insignificant.

"You're free, Pacifica. You're free to do whatever you want. You proved that ghost you could change and I believe in you." Dipper smiled as he stood up, offering his hand to help Pacifica up. With a smile, she took it and stood up beside him.

"You're too nice, Dipper. When did you get this nice?" She said, playfully.

"When you gained your freedom." He responded, the two kids looking at each other happily. "And as long as I am nice, you will be free."

Pacifica laughed a little under her breath. "Look at us. A little girl. A foolish boy."

Dipper laughed a little with Pacifica as they got closer together. They both hugged each other. It was truly a special relationship they had. Who would've known that she would fall in love with a boy of little significance? Nothing would split them apart.

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Mondego was a boy who had lived in Gravity Falls his entire life. He wasn't rich but what he didn't have in money, he had in influence. He had good looks that made every girl swoon over him. He had chocolate brown hair and ocean blue eyes that glimmered in the sunlight. He knew how to speak eloquently and how to speak with those above him. He had straight As in school and he knew, strangely enough, how to sword fight. His father thought it would be best to teach him. It was these many attributes that girls loved him. Many girls loved him but he only loved one girl.

He loved Pacifica Northwest. Of course, that love was not returned, for Pacifica had her eyes on a boy from California. A boy by the name of Dipper Pines. A boy with little money or influence. A boy related to a man who stole and tricked. Of course, this immediately started a one-sided rivalry. Mondego had to win Pacifica's heart, and so he did everything in his power to do just that.

"Pacifica, don't you think the Crystal Gems are dangerous for Dipper's health?" Mondego posed the question, pretending to be only thinking of Dipper's best interest as he followed Pacifica through the manor.

"I believe he is quite capable, Mondego. I appreciate that you care about him, however." Pacifica responded as she finally found a heart locket, something she had kept for years but refused to wear.

"I'm just concerned, Pacifica, that he might not be capable of the stress and demands. His sword fighting can't be more than average and we all know how powerful those Gems are." Mondego said as he tried to undermine his competition.

"Again, I appreciate the concern but I am going to be late. Dipper invited me to go stargazing with him." Pacifica pushed past Mondego, as if not caring for him in the slightest. He recoiled a bit in distaste. Her loyalty was great. If only that loyalty could be given to him. He, unfortunately, had to call this night a bust. His attempt was, once again, a failure. He sighed as he followed after Pacifica out the door into the warm night air. The stars were out but he couldn't bother to look at them.

Mondego decided to walk home in the darkness. He looked down at the road, unwilling to look up. He needed Pacifica but she was tough to crack. He was halfway home along an empty, quiet road through the forest when he heard something behind him. He turned around, suddenly, to see a small figure. She was really small, with small water wings. On her left cheek was a teardrop-shaped blue gem and her hair was short, making her seem more teardrop shaped herself. She had a bow in her hair and a dress and her skin, hair, and clothing was all a different shade of blue.

"Are you 'Dipper'?" She asked in an innocent sounding voice.

Mondego was at a loss for words. He heard from Pacifica about gems other than the Crystal Gems. He heard about the Diamonds and Steven and the Mystery Twins' adventures at the Human Zoo. What was this gem doing here? Still, he knew that this gem was up to no good... but she needed Dipper for something... maybe she was going to take him to the Human Zoo... An idea popped into his brain, but he needed clarification.

"Yeah. I know a Dipper. Why? What do you need him for?" Mondego asked, trying to get his answers.

"I don't have to tell you. Will you lead me to him or not?" The gem snapped, flying close to his face.

That's when a noise came from the surrounding landscape. It came from the dark trees next to where they were standing. Agitated, the gem looked at Mondego with a controlling look.

"Stay right here." She said in her singsongy voice before she called out for someone. "Topaz! Bring that communicator to me!"

Mondego couldn't help but flinch when he saw a tall gem come up to the small gem. The gem seemed yellowish in color and had two circular gems where her ears would be. She stood there with a neutral expression on her face as she brought a diamond-looking device. The little gem picked it up and flew a bit alway from Mondego. He was able to see, however, that she clicked the device into place, like a Rubix Cube, and it made a screen. There, on the screen, was a Diamond in yellow hue. She looked at the little gem as the gem bowed in respect.

"My luminous radiant Diamond." The little gem responded with a smile.

"Aquamarine, have you landed your ship?" The Diamond said in a regal voice, nonchalantly.

"Yes, my Diamond. We have been searching for the humans you ordered." The gem, presumably named Aquamarine, answered

"Be sure to get every last one on that list, Aquamarine." The Diamond typed something into the computer, before looking at at the screen. "There has also been a report from a Ruby that stated Rose Quartz might still alive. Be vigilant, Aquamarine, and if the rumors are true, take her into custody so that she may receive her punishment."

"I always prize myself on delivering, my Diamond. With luck, I will find that Rose Quartz was corrupted years ago." Aquamarine closed her eyes and crossed her arms with a prideful smile.

"I can help you with that." Mondego interrupted, loud enough that Aquamarine and the Diamond on the screen could hear.

The Diamond looked puzzled before looking threatening. "Who spoke, Aquamarine?"

Mondego moved towards the screen, despite Aquamarine's death stare. "I did, my Diamond." Then, he bowed and dared not look at her directly in the eyes, even through the screen.

"Get back in your place, you idiotic-" Aquamarine hissed through her teeth before Yellow Diamond put her hand up to silence her.

"A human who understands the true authority of the Diamonds? How intriguing." She said before turning towards Mondego and staring at him. "You have my ears, boy. What is it you have to say?"

Mondego could sense the hostility in Yellow Diamond's voice. If he was honest with himself, he didn't think he would make it this far in the plan. He thought he would be vaporized in the instant he tried to talk. The fact that he had Yellow Diamond listening was a miracle. He had to keep intriguing her.

"My Diamond, I know that I am an organic being, completely underneath your radiance and immortality, but I know that I can help you in my last remaining moments of my planet." He kept his head low and dared to look at Yellow Diamond, who had one of her eyebrows arced in interest. "In my last moments of earthly life, I only wish to help you, by serving your vengeance on a silver platter."

"My Diamond, I found this human in the streets. He said that he could help me find the human, 'Dipper'." Aquamarine explained, looking at Yellow Diamond in worry.

"Let him continue." Yellow Diamond waved her hand as Aquamarine got out of the way and Mondego stepped up, finally daring to stand up straight. His words were working. His flattery and influence had prepared him for this moment.

"She is, indeed, right, my brilliant Diamond, for I know how much you hate Dipper, one of the humans that thwarted the awe-inspiring Weirdmageddon. But you see, my Diamond, I hate him as much as you. He stole someone from me, never to return. My love will never come back to me." Mondego stopped to clear his throat. "But you see, my reasons for talking is not just to tell you what you already know, my patient and ambitious Diamond, for you see, not only do I know where Dipper is, but I also know the location of Rose Quartz, the traitorous Crystal Gem leader!"

Aquamarine looked surprised, her face mimicking a gasp. Yellow Diamond didn't look surprised, but rather amused. She smirked a little as she saw started thinking what Mondego was thinking.

"Well-spoken, young boy. You want vengeance and I want vengeance. You're proposing a deal." Yellow Diamond concluded.

"Oh no, my Diamond. Not a deal. A deal could mean I could control you and I would never dream of doing that, even when the Cluster emerges." Mondego pretended to look innocent, as if he would never manipulate the Diamonds. That, of course, was the moment he started manipulating her. "I am an ally to you, my Diamond. I will give you Rose Quartz and Dipper. I only ask that you will give me your word that Dipper would suffer more than the human zoo."

Yellow Diamond looked at Mondego with a malevolent smile. The only thing that worried him was whether she was thinking ill-will towards him or Rose Quartz and Dipper. She then typed into a console in front of her before looking at the screen again.

"You know, you're the only human that actually speaks sense. Whatever is your name?" Yellow Diamond said as he sighed in relief.

"My Diamond, you can call me anything but if you want the name I was given, I am Mondego." Mondego put his hand to his chest and bowed again in reverence.

"Mondego, you have my word that Dipper will suffer. I have this little... project that I have been thinking of for a while. Blue Diamond wouldn't allow me to do it with any human in the human zoo." Yellow Diamond's smirk faded in thought before she looked with concern at Mondego. "How can I condemn Dipper to his fate when he has a fair trial?"

"My Diamond, I can help. I can testify against him." Mondego felt victory within his grasp. His plans were falling into place. He would condemn Dipper and Steven to their fate and then take Pacifica in her time of sorrow.

"You are truly a schemer, Mondego." Yellow Diamond mused. "Tell me, what are your plans to execute our vengeance?"

Mondego felt his vengeance being pieced together. No one would know about his betrayal. If anyone knew, his plan would be foiled and if Pacifica found out, she would abandon him. He had to be the hidden third party. Dipper could blame Yellow Diamond but he wouldn't be able to blame the anonymous third player. To communicate his ideas to the Diamonds, he decided to speak in song.

 _"We are friends, are we not? And our interests are the same."_ Mondego sang in a little quieter voice. _"We collaborate and trust in fate to parcel out the blame."_

Aquamarine immediately decided to join in as she stood between Mondego and Yellow Diamond, all three of them close together. _"There are ends we've all got that can justify the means. We negotiate,"_

 _"And fabricate the facts behind the scenes."_ Yellow Diamond sang as she joined in, typing up something on her screen, coming up with a false report that would condemn Dipper Pines.

 _"Keeping all the details vague and secrets hidden, safe from the balanced sheet of those we trust,"_ Mondego sang, a sneaky look in his eyes as he pretended to whisper something to Yellow Diamond, with his right hand cupped around his mouth towards the screen.

 _"Because history's a story told by the winners of the fight!"_ His loud voice carried far as he continued. _"You imply a little,"_

 _"Lie a little, testifying"_ Aquamarine responded in a fast voice.

 _"Try a little,"_ Yellow Diamond joined before she added with Mondego joining her, _"Dipper."_

 _"Who will question what goes on in the middle of the night?"_ Mondego jokingly questioned, before he answered it himself. _"Not a tinker. Not a tailor."_

 _"Not Blue Diamond or a Sapphire."_ Yellow Diamond answered, remembering about one of her co-rulers who had some say as to what would happen to Dipper.

 _"Or a jailer."_ Aquamarine concluded with a malevolent smirk before bursting into a giggle at the possibilities. Mondego smiled a bit. These gems were getting it. His plans were sinking through to them. He was going to give them the vengeance they deserved and he would simply benefit as a result of it. As the song continued, he was delightfully surprised to find Yellow Diamond starting the next verse.

 _"So we all are agreed. Let's be vigilant and wise."_ Yellow Diamond cautioned as she tried to think of ways the plan could go wrong. Mondego took over from her.

 _"We must all pretend my naïve friend was caught where he lies. For our plan to succeed, we must have but no disdain."_ Mondego laid his left hand flat while he put his right hand vertically and patted his hands like that, as if hammering a concept with a look of concern on his face. _"Dipper Pines will stay and end his days under torturous pain! Where the only things he'll touch are stones and darkness, deep in a prison cell and dungeon keep."_ Mondego smiled as Yellow Diamond joined.

 _"Because history's a story told by the Gems who make the laws!"_ Yellow Diamond closed her eyes as she pointed to herself with a look of bliss on her face. Then, she opened her eyes as she continued. _"We supply a little lie to help the gullible to buy a little fable."_

 _"What will become of the righteous men who fashioned Dipper's flaws?"_ Aquamarine posed the question with a look of actual concern.

 _"The rich and well-respected are no more to be rejected at my table."_ Mondego answered, pointing to himself with his eyes closed before opening them up. His eyes were full of hope and his eyes twinkled in the starlight. _"I'll be a comfort in her time of grief,"_ He closed his eyes and put his right hand to his forehead, as if in distress. _"and anguish."_ He put his hands across his chest to form an X shape. Then, he looked up at the stars again.

 _"I'll be Pacifica's ever faithful acolyte, every night."_ Then, he looked down at his feet, regret filling his eyes. _"Yet, part of me wishes Dipper didn't have to languish."_ He closed his eyes before looking ahead of him with anger and determination in his eyes. _"But I can see, it's him or me."_

 _"Let him sit there and rot until he's forgot."_ Aquamarine responded in agreement with a smug smirk on her face as she watched Mondego's weakness disappear into anger.

 _"Let him rot-!"_ Yellow Diamond exclaimed with happiness in her voice, happy that vengeance would finally come.

Then, the three singers joined in the next line with perfect harmony. _"History's a story told by the people who survive"_

 _"Let me sign and then initial."_ Yellow Diamond said as she signed something on her own screen after finishing her report.

 _"It's the truth if it's officially the story."_ Aquamarine agreed as she closed her eyes and crossed her eyes with a sly grin on her face.

 _"What if the cost is one young man so my love can then survive?"_ Mondego said as he pretended to weigh his hands like scales. _"He's the price I have to pay to live and fight another day for love and glory."_ Then, he put his hand over his heart.

 _"He was standing in the way. A threat to justice, we will say."_ Yellow Diamond answered as she wrote it into the computer.

 _"So goes the story."_ Mondego cried out.

 _"Stick to the story!"_ Aquamarine answered.

 _"Here ends the story~!"_ The trio sang together as the song ended, and together, they knew they had a plan to gain their vengeance. All they had to do now, was begin.

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Pacifica and Dipper were laying down on the hill. It was dark but the stars lit up the landscape. Pacifica had been hesitant to lay down in the dirty... well, dirt, but, with some encouragement from Dipper, she went onto her back and looked up at the stars. Dipper did the same, laying down on her left and placing his head only a few inches from hers.

"Wow." Was all Pacifica could say, her breath taken from that very moment.

"Yeah. You could say that again." Dipper answered. "The stars are bright tonight, since it's a new moon."

"I've just... never really taken a moment to look at the stars." Pacifica clarified, Dipper turning to look at her with confusion. She turned to look at him too. His expression changed to an understanding smile before he looked back at the stars. She continued to look at him, however, before smiling too and looking at the stars again. When she felt Dipper's hand brush against hers before he clasped it gently in his grip, she didn't pull it away. It felt right, in a way, for them to hold hands while looking at the stars.

After a moment of silent awe and communication between the two without words, Pacifica used her right hand to point at the sky.

"See that star?" Pacifica asked, looking to Dipper for confirmation.

He looked at where she was pointing. "The star next to where the moon would be?" He replied.

"Yeah," she said with a nod, not moving her gaze away from that star. "It's so bright, like it would never dim or diminish."

"I wonder if that star has a name." Dipper mused.

"Well, there's only one thing I know." Pacifica replied in a confident voice.

"What's that?" Dipper turned towards her and she turned to look at him with a smile.

"I won't ever forget that star, because it reminds me of you." She said, smiling happily. Dipper blushed a little before they continued to look at the stars.

That's when Pacifica heard something. A twig snapped in the forest. A sound as if something were shuffling away. Then, she thought she heard muffled whispers, unintelligible. Pacifica immediately sat up straight, looking around in concern. Dipper sat up too, although, having not heard the noises, with a look of confusion.

"What's wrong?" Dipper asked, trying to interpret what was going on and what Pacifica was looking for.

"I... thought I heard something." She admitted, slowly as she continued to survey the area, looking all around her.

"Maybe it was just an animal?" Dipper guessed, although he was unsure if even that was true.

"But I heard talking." Pacifica said as she focused on the area in front of her. The hill was in a clearing and so, about a couple of yards away from the hill, was the edge of the forest. Whatever was hiding from them had to be in front of the hill and in the forest.

That's when something spoke behind them. It was an innocent voice, high pitched with an English accent.

"Are you 'Dipper'?" The couple turned around to see a tiny person with wings. No. Not a person. A gem was on her cheek, teardrop-shaped like Lapis' gem. She looked at them with an innocent look. Dipper stood up and Pacifica did likewise. The couple took a glance at each other, as if asking each other what to do. Do they answer this question from this gem? For all they knew, she was a Homeworld Gem. Pacifica shrugged. It seemed like a harmless question.

"...Yeah. I'm Dipper Pines." Dipper answered slowly and methodically, pointing to himself.

"Well, what do you know?" The gem said, sounding more amazed than innocent. "Our informer wasn't betraying us." She giggled a little before flying into the air. "Topaz! We have one!"

The couple heard footsteps behind them. Dipper was the first one to turn and look behind them. A big gem stood in front of them, her shadow falling on them. She was orange and looked at them with a determined look. Pacifica pushed past Dipper, blocking the gem, presumably named Topaz, from getting to him.

"You're not putting a finger on my Dipper!" She said sternly at the gem. "If you want to get him, you have to get past me!" She pointed at herself.

The gem took a step towards hers, fear crossing Pacifica's face as both Dipper and herself backed up. Then, with a fluid motion, Topaz backhanded Pacifica, her right hand connecting with the side of Pacifica's body. Pacifica cried out in pain as she was knocked to the side and fell onto the grass on the hill.

"Pacifica!" Dipper yelled as he looked down at where Pacifica had fallen. Of course, in that moment of distraction, Topaz grabbed Dipper. He struggled under the grip of the soldier but could not escape.

Pacifica, groggy from the fall, got up slowly from the ground. Upon turning to see Dipper in the arms of doom, she stood up and immediately was frozen in place. Topaz's entire body glowed and dissipated, as two figures, both smaller versions of the quartzine soldier, came out of the light. Despite the forms of the gems being much smaller than before, Dipper still couldn't get out of one of the Topaz's hold. Then, in a quick motion, the Topazes fused and Dipper was stuck in the body of the gem.

"Let go of him!" Pacifica screamed as she tried to get herself to move, but to no avail. She couldn't fight a gem. She had never fought a gem before... physically.

"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted, his head underneath Topaz's face. "Listen to me! You have to get help! Get Steven! Get my family!"

"But what about you?!" Pacifica cried out as tears filled her vision.

"I promise I will be back." Dipper said in a calm voice. In his time with the Gems, he learned to stay calm and how to have grace under pressure. He tried to reassure Pacifica with a smile before he found the flaw in his statement and frowned. "Well, I mean, I might not be back for a day or so, but I promise I will be back someday."

"Topaz!" The small gem shouted in frustration. "Stop listening to those humans and get over here!"

As Topaz and the small gem left, Pacifica finally felt like she could move. Pacifica knew that the best way to save Dipper as quick as possible was to run and get the Gems and the Pines family. However, before she ran, she noticed something that had fallen on the ground when Topaz started to walk. Pacifica, methodically walked towards it in curiosity. When she picked it up, her left hand went to her face, unable to hold the emotions brought by the recent events.

It was Dipper's hat. It must've started falling off during Dipper's struggle with Topaz, and since his hands were stuck in the giant soldier, he was unable to reposition it. Tears fell down her face before she straightened her posture. No. She had to go. She had to hold onto the hope that he would come back. She had said to Mondego many times that Dipper was capable of these Gem adventures. He would come back. Then, she would return the hat in person. Feeling a little happier at the thought, she gripped onto the hat tightly before sprinting off towards help.

 **A/N Alright! "A Story Told" is done! To be honest, this one was the only song I was not excited to do. It had very little movement in it and it isn't easy to maneuver the characters when one-third of them, in that song, was in a holographic screen. I promise the next chapter/song will be better. It doesn't have much movement either but it has power... and broken promises. Just a warning, everything in these first couple of chapters are foreshadowing. Those talks between Dipper and Pacifica weren't put in just because of fluff (well, some of them were, but that's not the point). Anyways, you can find the song in this chapter just by searching up the chapter name with "The Count of Monte Cristo" added onto it. Another warning: The Count of Monte Cristo fandom has been taken over by Bronies. If you click on a video and it has ponies in it, it's not my fault (you can watch them it you want to, though. You be you).**


	2. I Will Be There

**A/N Hey guys! This chapter has one of my favorite songs from the musical (other than Hell to Your Doorstep which may or may not be in this story)! It's called, "I Will Be There". One thing that I don't think many people notice or care to mention is that in the original musical, this song becomes a song of broken promises. At the time this is sung, it seems harmless and innocent enough but then the promises the couple make to each other in the song get broken. Well, you can probably guess what is going to happen later on in the story. Have fun!**

Dipper sat in the white, empty room in silence, his mind trying to process what had happened in, what he presumed was, 24 hours. Pacifica, indeed, told the Gems of his capture. From what he learned in those moments of being captured was that Aquamarine and Topaz were gems sent from Homeworld to gather humans for the human zoo. They had a list and they would gather humans that matched those names, as well as humans who seemed to have ties with the rumored, Rose Quartz. Since Dipper matched both of those descriptions, he was captured.

By the time the Crystal Gems had come, Aquamarine and Topaz had captured Lars, Sadie, Connie, Onion, Soos, and Wendy and we're looking for a hint as to the location of Rose Quartz, Mr. Pines, and "my dad". Steven and the Gems confronted them in the local amusement park, Funland. However, Aquamarine captured the Gems with her weapon, a beam of light that freezes people in place, at the mercy of Aquamarine's hands. That's when she revealed something.

She knew he was the son of Rose Quartz... or at least that he was Rose Quartz. As it turned out, an anonymous informant had told them what Rose Quartz looked like and her supposed location. Everything, the list, the human-capturing, was all just an elaborate scheme to capture Rose. It, unfortunately, worked. That's when Aquamarine created the dreaded deal. The deal that sealed everyone's fates. She agreed to release the "good" humans if Rose turned herself over.

Despite everyone's pleas, Steven accepted and boarded the ship. Topaz released Connie, Sadie, Onion, Soos, and Wendy and made them jump into the lake below. The biggest twist was when Mabel, Dipper, and Lars weren't released.

Dipper still heard the yells of Steven, calling Aquamarine a cheater and a liar, a no-good-double-crosser.

"You promised me!" Dipper's memory seemed to echo throughout his room, Steven's voice full of pain and distress. "You said they would all be released!"

"I said all the good humans." Aquamarine's voice chimed in, snarky and deceptive as ever. "Unfortunately, these three have a witness that says they are a menace to society here on Earth. My gracious Diamond is happy to help the inhabitants of Earth." Her malevolent giggles followed her voice before it faded into the silence that filled Dipper with dread.

The flight was interesting, to say the least. The four people left on the ship knew that they were doomed to go to Homeworld. Hope filled them when Topaz was touched by a conversation they had amongst each other. She tried to help them but Aquamarine was a clever and manipulative gem and stopped the short-lived rebellion. Now, Dipper was here, imprisoned on Homeworld.

Many questions buzzed in his mind, however. Despite his worries about the future ahead of him, he couldn't help but wonder about the missing pieces in the puzzle. The first one was simple, and yet puzzling. If the list and human-trapping was just a big scheme to capture Rose Quartz, why didn't Topaz and Aquamarine capture Pacifica? She was blocking Topaz from getting him. Instead of knocking her aside, they could've taken both of them. The more he thought about this, the more he started piecing together the bigger mystery.

Why was Lars considered a threat to society? This was clearly a faked use of evidence as to why to keep few humans but, it seemed out of place to take Lars. It made sense with Mabel and Dipper, as they were both close friends to "Rose Quartz" but Lars was just as normal of a teen as he could be in Gravity Falls. He had little to no connection with the weird gem stuff Steven had. In fact, he made a point not to associate with that stuff, so why was he here? A follow-up question was why Connie wasn't taken. She was as much a friend to Steven as Mabel and Dipper were, maybe even more. She could've just as easily been taken instead of Lars. Why was Dipper separated from the rest of the humans? Lars and Mabel were taken by one Topaz, while Steven and Dipper were taken by another. It seemed unlikely that they thought Steven, who they saw as Rose, as a human. He wasn't even in the same cell as Steven. Why was he secluded from the rest of the humans? Why wasn't he being taken into the human zoo? Why was he here, all alone with no food or water?

Who was this informant? Why did they hate Steven and the Gems when they helped save the world? Who was the witness? What did they have against the Mystery Kids? As Dipper continued, he came up with the last question that set all things in motion. Was the informant the same person as the witness?

It made sense if they were. If they were the same person, they knew information about everyone that was taken and they were able to testify against them, thereby giving Aquamarine and Topaz information on their whereabouts and giving them a reason to take them back to Homeworld. It also made sense if they were human. Gems rarely would care about the lives of humans. If someone knew and cared about whether someone was a menace to human society or not, that someone would be a human, since gems rarely cared about how other life forms thought of them.

Dipper's mind continued to race. This mystery was putting itself together nicely. Why would Homeworld gems listen to a human, a lesser life form in their eyes? Well, they must've offered something so good, the gems could not give up. Maybe they offered to serve the Gems Rose Quartz. It made sense. The Diamonds' thirst for vengeance needed to be filled. So much so that a Ruby, recently, tried to kill Steven, even though he was the only thing keeping her from being thrown into the vacuum of space.

In the middle of his thoughts, a bright flash surrounded him. Dipper recognized the feeling of being warped by a warp pad. When the light dissipated, he found himself in a dark room. Beneath him was a pattern of three diamonds overlapping, one white, one blue, and the other, yellow. He sat on the white one and in front of him, were the two large figures of the Diamonds. Dipper's mind boggled and he gasped in horror. To his left was Yellow Diamond, looking judgmentally at him, as if she were debating squishing a bug. To the right was Blue Diamond, who stared attentively, despite her saddened face.

Dipper debated getting off his knees and standing, but fought against it, knowing there was no chance of his survival if he disobeyed the Diamonds. In surprise, he watched as a bubble surrounded his head, immediately silencing the world around him. He turned to see a yellow gem in fancy garb, talking with a smirk on her face. She pointed at Dipper and her lips moved, although Dipper could only hear her muffled voice. Upon looking in front of him, a blue gem, looking much like the yellow one, stood stiff, clearly more nervous than her yellow counterpart. Beside her was a welcoming sight.

Steven. Steven stood beside the blue gem. Instead of looking at the Diamonds, however, he looked at Dipper with concern and a hidden relief that Dipper was okay. Then, Steven interrupted the yellow gem and said something. From his posture and the fact he was looking pointedly at Dipper, he could conclude that Steven was pleading for him to go free. The gem only shook her head, a smirk still on her face, before she answered, looking more at the Diamonds than Steven.

Dipper heard a voice to his left at that moment. Upon turning, he saw his sister, Mabel and Lars, both with bubbles on their head too. Mabel looked at him in concern and mouthed, _are you okay?_

Dipper merely nodded before he turned to watch the Diamonds and Steven. All of a sudden, in between the Diamonds, a pillar came out of the ground and rose until it was about chin level of the Diamonds. On it was a familiar face. Eyeball, the Ruby who had tried to kill Steven in a bubble in space, stared down at Steven with hostility. She yelled something down and Steven responded in kind. In that moment, Dipper realized with startling clarity what this was. It was a trial. A trial for a crime his friend didn't commit.

Eyeball continued to speak, undoubtedly saying something about how she saw Rose Quartz shatter Pink Diamond or how Steven convinced her he was Rose. Either way, he watched Yellow Diamond smirk throughout the entire thing. After Eyeball's testimony, Yellow Diamond clapped her hands together with a pleased smile and said something to Blue Diamond, who replied with a look of protest. That's when the unsure, blue gem spoke. She was the defense and she didn't seem confident or happy about it,

The blue gem seemed to have trouble organizing her screens before Steven said something and the floor beneath him rose upwards, as Eyeball's did before him. Steven spoke and, clearly, it didn't help his defense gem, for she has hitting her head against the pillar. After speaking for a while, Blue Diamond got up close to Steven and spoke, looking at him with an angry, demanding stare. Steven responded, looking unsure of himself. Then, Blue Diamond, unexpectedly, cried out in a loud voice, loud enough that Dipper could hear it in almost perfect detail.

"IT WAS A SWORD!" As Blue Diamond put her head in her hands, a wave of blue went throughout the room. Tears formed in every gem's eyes, even Yellow Diamond. As if to confirm that every gem was affected, Steven had tears in his eyes too, while the humans remained unaffected. Blue Diamond whispered something, before Yellow Diamond held her shoulder and said something to the court in an angry voice.

In another flash of light, Dipper was transported back to his cell, the bubble no long over his face. He stood up and started to process what happened as he paced around the room.

"A sword?" He asked himself. "Why would she say that? Of course, this is a trial for Pink Diamond's shattering. Maybe it was said that it was a sword that shattered her?"

Dipper changed direction. "But it couldn't be Rose's sword. Bismuth said that it would cut through a gem's physical form, but not the gem. It was made for poofing a gem, not shattering."

Change direction. "Maybe Rose chose to use it for shattering, even though that wasn't the intended purpose. I mean, we've all heard that anything could be a weapon, with creativity."

Change direction. "No. Bismuth said that it couldn't. It's like saying paper can hurt my skin but could never kill me and then charging someone for murdering another person with paper. You can't die from paper cuts and a Diamond can't die from a sword not designed for shattering."

Change direction. "But we might be comparing apples to oranges here. That sword could probably hurt a gem if the gem holding it had the intention to."

Change direction. "But why would Bismuth make the Breaking Point if the sword could already shatter a gem? Wouldn't Bismuth know the capabilities of the sword _she_ made?"

Dipper would've continued his train of thought, if only a column of light didn't appear around him and brought him back to the courtroom. Dipper, again, had the bubble around his head and his sister and Lars was beside him. The blue gem was speaking now. She seemed more confident, however. As she continued to speak, she put her finger up, as if bringing a point. It must've been a good point too, because Yellow Diamond's eyebrow raised in intrigue.

The blue gem said something to the Diamonds. Yellow Diamond replied but Blue Diamond looked at Yellow in disbelief, causing Yellow to look back in pain, before motioning her hand and causing her palanquin to appear beside the blue gem. The blue gem ran to the top of the steps while speaking before running down. Then, as if switching characters in a game, she pretended to attack something with a sword where she had been before. Blue Diamond looked pained at the act and Dipper immediately pieced together what happened.

The blue gem was reenacting what had happened to Pink Diamond according to witnesses. Pink Diamond must've run down the stairs of her palanquin and then was attacked. The blue gem stood in front of the Diamonds again as she continued to address her defendant. As she explained something in a loud voice, Steven looked confused. There must've been an interesting point brought up. Something that blew the defense case right off.

That's when Yellow Diamond lashed out. She yelled out so loud that Dipper could hear her.

"THEY WERE WITH HER, OF COURSE! THEY SAW THE WHOLE THING!" Dipper's mind raced to figure out the words.

The blue gem continued, creating a rebuttal against Yellow Diamond's yell.

"SHE MUST'VE SNUCK PAST THEM!" She yelled again, hitting her chair in anger.

The blue gem continued, until in a loud voice, she cried out, "WATCH OUT MY DIAMOND!"

She looked like a detective, the blue gem. She paced around the room, like Dipper did before. He immediately respected her, a little bit. She had a hard case but she was pulling it off. She was uncovering the truth. She was clearing Steven's name. Then, she seemed to be thinking out loud. Before Dipper could wonder what she was thinking about, the blue gem, in a loud voice, pointed at the two Diamonds.

"LIKE ONE OF YOU!" Blue Diamond gasped and Dipper did too, to be honest. Dipper figured it out. The blue gem had blamed the Diamonds for the shatter of Pink Diamond. A Diamond shattering another Diamond? Well, if any gem could shatter another gem and then cover it up effectively, it would be the Diamonds. They could force the witnesses to lie, lest they be shattered. It did make sense. However, Yellow Diamond was not pleased.

Yellow Diamond stood up and Dipper could tell that the blue gem was trying to clear her last statement but Yellow wasn't having any of it. With a single finger, she smushed the blue gem until she was poofed. Her yellow gem equivalent with a smirk said something but, whether it proved Yellow Diamond happy or not didn't matter. Yellow was angry and nothing could stop her. Instead of smashing the yellow gem with her finger, lightning came out of her hands and shot out towards the yellow gem, causing her to destabilize.

Dipper couldn't help but watch. It was frightening, in a way. Yellow Diamonds temper was not something to be trifled with. In fact, if Peridot hadn't been protected somewhat from the screen, Peridot would've been dead meat when she called Yellow Diamond a clod.

Blue Diamond stood up in anger and yelled at Yellow Diamond. "YELLOW! STOP IT!"

The Diamonds yelled at each other. Clearly, the realization the blue gem had uncovered was unbelievable to the Diamonds. Steven ran over to the humans in the midst of the chaos. He popped the bubbles over their heads and now, Dipper could hear the anger of the Diamonds and, for the first time, Blue Diamond's anger.

"LET'S JUST SHATTER ROSE AND BE DONE WITH IT!" Yellow Diamond shouted.

"CAN'T YOU RESTRAIN YOURSELF?!" Blue Diamond countered.

"We need to go!" Steven told the group. This was the perfect distraction to leave.

"Where?!" Lars asked, unable to turn away from the Diamonds.

"There!" Mabel pointed at Blue Diamond's palanquin.

The three-and-a-half humans ran to the palanquin and started to board it. However, Dipper was still staring in disbelief at the Diamonds. They hated Steven and the Twins. Maybe, he could provide a distraction.

"Dipper! Get on!" Mabel cried out amidst the chaos.

"What about the Diamonds? They will try and find us if no one distracts them. I should give you guys some time!" Dipper proposed, however, the rest of the group were not having it.

"What?!" Steven shouted in disbelief. "No! You can't! You'll be put in the human zoo!"

"So? It's not so bad. At least there's food there." Dipper countered, trying to smile reassuringly at them.

"But Dipper! What about Pacifica? I promised her that we would bring you back in one piece!" Mabel said, saddened.

Dipper felt pain. Well, more pain than he already felt from seeing his friends in emotional distress. Pacifica. As far as she knew, he was still on earth. Still held captive by Topaz. Still being saved from a gem adventure. She wasn't with the Gems when he was taken to space. Steven didn't say why she wasn't, but it probably had something to do with her parents. He thought long and hard about it. He would hurt Mabel, Steven, Lapis, and Pacifica if he did this. Not to mention the Gems, Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford, maybe even Wendy and Soos and the other inhabitants of Gravity Falls.

"Just go!" Dipper finally answered. "I'll find a way to get back to you guys."

Steven and Mabel looked uncertain and to be honest, Dipper wasn't certain either. He knew how to escape the human zoo with the Famethyst but not how he was going to get off the zoo. Luckily, he had allies. Maybe they could help him.

Unfortunately, before the rest could protest, the Diamonds noticed Steven and the rest of the humans in the palanquin. There was no choice. It was either all of them were captured, or Dipper was captured. Lars was the one who took initiative and started moving the palanquin, which shakingly went from side to side until it jumped through the ceiling. Yellow Diamond broke through the wall as the palanquin fell but whatever words she said were lost in the craziness that was the room.

"My Diamond, a human is still here with us." Blue Pearl said quietly as she pointed to Dipper.

Blue Diamond turned and looked at Dipper. Her expression was neither hostile, nor peaceful. It was just neutral. "So we do." Was all Blue Diamond replied.

"Well, at least this trial wasn't for naught." Yellow Diamond remarked as she turned back and saw Dipper still there. "At least we have a human and that is the important thing."

Blue Diamond grasped Dipper in her hand, gently so that he could breathe. She looked at him before turning towards Yellow Diamond. "You will send him to the human zoo, right?"

"Of course, Blue. Why would I do anything with this organic life form?" Yellow Diamond brushed it off.

"That's funny." Blue Diamond said in a hostile voice and looked at Yellow Diamond. "I checked your files and you have a project that uses humans. It is rather cruel and Pink Diamond would not want that for her humans."

"Oh please, Blue. Pink Diamond wouldn't want us to fight." Yellow replied with agitation.

"Then make the right decision." Blue Diamond said in almost a whisper, her hostility towards Yellow coming out. "And don't think I will forget how you acted, today. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were the one who-"

"I LOVED HER AS MUCH AS YOU DO!" Yellow Diamond snapped before putting her hand to her head. "Why would I shatter her?"

The Diamonds stood in silence, Dipper still held in the grasp of Blue Diamond. She didn't let up her hostile stare and Yellow Diamond finally looked at her.

"I think I've had enough of you today, Yellow." Blue Diamond put Dipper gently on the ground before she walked off.

With a sigh from the events that happened, Yellow Diamond motioned her hand and Dipper was warped again. He half-expected to be in the hull of the human zoo, ready to be escorted to the entrance to the zoo. Unfortunately, he wasn't. He was back in the same empty room. It was silent and Dipper just put himself into the corner of his room, his knees close to his chest.

Breaking the silence, a picture appeared on the wall. Dipper looked at it in curiosity as a video feed of Yellow Pearl came on, a sneer on her face. Clearly, a bad day for Yellow Diamond was a bad day for her Pearl.

"Mason 'Dipper' Pines, your court case will begin momentarily." She announced in a commanding voice. "Yellow Diamond and her trusted court will decide upon your fate."

"B-but she promised to bring me to the human zoo!" Dipper protested.

"Unfortunately, there is an accusation that you would be a danger to the humans in the zoo and thus, should be isolated." Pearl replied, her face still angry.

"But Blue Diamond-"

"Blue Diamond does not need anymore trouble today. She needs a day of rest." She snapped, before composing herself. "Be ready for your case. Whether your ready or not, you will be put on trial."

The video image disappeared and Dipper felt helpless. At least at the human zoo, he knew a way to get out. Now, there was no way of knowing if he would ever escape to his friends. He had promised that he would get back. He felt powerless. Still, he felt hope. Hope that he might survive this and return. His family and friends would find him again. They would help him come back. Either way, he would come back to Earth. He just had to hope. And that was what he did as he waited.

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"Dipper's been taken and you aren't freaking out?" Mondego asked in confusion. That was something that made no sense to him. As far as she knew, he might've been taken to Homeworld. He sat next to Pacifica on her couch in the Northwest Manor as she tried to hold onto her hopes. It was late into the night, and yet it didn't matter.

"I believe in Dipper and the Crystal Gems. They defeated Bill. What is more threatening than that?" She smiled a little. Secretly, she was freaking out. Yes, she believed in Dipper, but his safety was in jeopardy. It comforted her, however, that Dipper knew how to fight with a sword. He also promised her that he had a plan of some sort or that he would have a plan, once he was reunited with the Gems. She didn't go with the Gems, since she would offer very little to the team. If she went, she could've been captured and the Gems would have one more kid to save. In the end, it seemed more advantageous for her to stay at her home. She had to hold onto her hopes.

"Plus, sometimes he and the Crystal Gems go on week-long gem adventures. This has to be something more akin to that." She reassured, both Mondego and herself.

"Well then, I don't really see the reason for inviting me here." Mondego pointed out.

"Because, I thought you would want to know." Pacifica looked at him with a confused stare. "You are one of his friends."

Mondego chuckled a little under his breath. "Yeah...Friend... I only jumped in to bring down a gem monster that one time."

"You did much more than that. You helped bring back his confidence when you taught him how to fight a human opponent." Pacifica said with a smile. "You let him win."

"I didn't." Mondego corrected with a little blush crossing his face in embarrassment. "He just was a formidable opponent. It made me realize how much I needed to improve. Let's just say I've improved since then."

"When Dipper comes back, you're going to have to challenge him to a duel again to see if your improved technique works." Pacifica pushed him lightly in a friendly and playful way.

Mondego laughed a little before he felt something. In his pockets, something shook, requiring his attention. He stood up and put his jacket on.

"Leaving already? What's the rush?" Pacifica asked in curiosity.

"I'm sorry. My mom's called. I have to go home." He rushed somewhat to the exit if the room. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Mondego."

Mondego hurried to his house. It was a small, two-story house. Barely anyone lived in his house. His father hadn't come to visit for 4 years, since he was a sailor who moved to California, and his mother often didn't care what he did. He could lose a finger and his mother wouldn't care. In the case of his plan, Mondego was glad that this neglect from his mom was still present in his house. For his plans to go as planned, he didn't want any parental figures to meddle. Upon entering the empty dusty house, Mondego took out of his pockets a communicator with direct connection to Yellow Diamond.

He had been gifted this communicator by Aquamarine, in turn for the names of some humans to be captured. He told them the plan, that Rose would trade herself in for some of the humans. He told them which humans to keep. Dipper was obvious. Mabel was a loose thread. She would be miserable if separated from her brother. At least they would be together in Homeworld.

As for Lars, he had a deep hatred for Lars. Lars had made fun of Mondego when he was young. He made fun of Mondego's distant father and told him that the sailor would never return after his month long visit. This prediction, at the moment, was true, but it was still uncalled for. Mondego thought of the world of his father. Edmund was truly the best sailor. If Mondego ever created a city, he would name it, Edmund. When Edmund spent a month with Mondego, he taught his son how to sword fight. Mondego prided himself on sword fighting, another reason he held a grudge against Dipper, the boy who beat him.

Mondego quickly clicked the sides into place and waited for the screen to appear. When it did, Yellow Diamond was there, looking at him.

"My Diamond." He said with a bow.

"Enough of the pleasantries, Mondego. The humans and Rose escaped." Yellow Diamond reported with a stern look.

Mondego shuttered. His plan. Did it fail? "Which humans, my Diamond?"

"Oh, do not worry, my boy, for Mason is in his room, getting ready for his trial. In fact, you will testify soon." Yellow Diamond replied, smirking despite the grim news about Rose's escape.

"My Diamond, if I may, I believe I should keep a look out for Rose and the humans here on earth. Rose and her lackeys are known for escaping the unescapable." Mondego proposed.

"Indeed. My shattering robonoids are searching for them right now. As for Mason, we'll seal his fate quickly and quietly." Yellow Diamond sneered at the thought of Dipper.

"Rough day, my Diamond?" Mondego said, sensing that Yellow Diamond was not in the mood for anymore delays.

"Nothing I can't handle." Yellow Diamond answered with a wave of her hand. "Stay alert for my call, Mondego. We will put you under an anonymous name and you have your mask. Do you have a name preference?"

Mondego smiled.

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Dipper saw the wall to his cell open as a gem came in. She was a new gem to Dipper. She her skin was a shock white color while her hair was a mix of that same color of white and grayish black that was cut about where the ears were. She was not exactly a quartz, and yet she had good muscle definition. Her outfit was a grayish uniform, looking somewhat like what an army general would wear, and yet it had a Homeworld flare to it. Her white gem was dotted with black dots. The gem was rectangular in shape and was placed on her chest. She glared at Dipper impatiently, with her arms behind her.

"Yellow Diamond and her court are ready for your trial." The gem stated. "We must get a move on."

Dipper didn't exactly try to escape but he didn't try to make it easy, either. As she tried to grab his wrist forcefully, he moved his wrist out of the way and instead grabbed her wrist. He tried to pull her down, but unfortunately, she had more muscles than he did.

"You...aren't... making it any easier! You know that everything is taped and that tape can be used against you, right?" The gem said as she took Dipper's hand off her wrist and held it in her iron grip. "So, if you want your punishment to be worse than it already is, then it's not my gem on the line."

Dipper sighed. She was right. He didn't want his punishment any worse. Any worse would mean more security measures and the more security measures, the more unlikely his escape would be. This time, he didn't pull his wrist away when the gem grabbed it.

"See? There's the honor I hoped you would have." The gem responded in a whisper. "A soldier knows when it is right for her to surrender."

With both of his arms behind him, he watched as another doorway appeared on the opposite side of the room. This time, it lead to the trial room. What was different, however, was that instead of Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond's chairs, there was only Yellow Diamond's chair, with Yellow Diamond glaring at Dipper. Behind her was her court. Sapphires, agates, high-ranking quartz soldiers, and more gems that looked somewhat like what the gem behind him looked like, sat behind her, sort of like a theater. The gems silently watched as Dipper was led to the center of the floor and the gem behind him left, bowed before her Diamond, and sat next to the other gems of her type.

Then, a gem that looked very much like the gems that had both accused and defended Steven came out. She was different than the yellow one before. She was indeed yellow, but her hair style and personality seemed different. She seemed less smug than the previous one and more willing to just move on with the trial. Once she was closer to the center of the floor, she bowed to the court, a long deep bow, before turning to Yellow Diamond and saluting her, creating a diamond with her arms and avoiding her gaze.

"My Diamond and her most trusted court." The yellow gem said, rather silently.

"Let's hurry this up, Zircon." Yellow Diamond replied, agitation in her voice. "We have better things to do."

"Indeed, my Diamond." Zircon cleared her throat before starting. "My Diamond, we have here Mason 'Dipper' Pines, a human who is a part of Rose Quartz's band of rebels, a threat to Homeworld, and has thwarted Weirdmageddon, an event that you, my Diamond, had your hand in."

The court whispered to each other in shock. Dipper looked around. Where was his Zircon? Where was his defense committee? Why did it seem this trial was rigged from the very beginning?

"Indeed, My Diamond, we have witnesses for all of these claims and accusations. Before that, with respect, my Diamond, the defense has to make their claim." Zircon responded, clearly sensing that this wasn't an ordinary trial.

"There is no defense, Zircon. After your evidence, it will be our decision." Yellow Diamond answered, motioning to the court who had no problems with this.

"That's not fair!" Dipper yelled out, causing the court to silence itself. Dipper covered his mouth in worry. He didn't mean to speak out. It was just his thoughts. This wasn't fair. Rose Quartz had a fair trial while he didn't. Why were the cards not stacked in his favor?

"Silence!" Yellow Diamond said, hitting her chair with her fist. "This is your final warning. If you speak again, you won't even finish your trial and you will be sentenced immediately."

Dipper shut his mouth. All he could do was watch his fate unfurl. It was unlikely that his fate would be good. Homeworld ruled here. He wasn't going to have a fair trial if the Diamond's didn't allow it.

"As I was saying, my Diamond, he is a traitor to Homeworld by helping the traitorous Rose Quartz, who shattered our very own Pink Diamond. The evidence for this is easy to find. Look no further to last trial." Zircon stopped pacing a bit as she motioned to Yellow Diamond. "My Diamond, can you testify that this human helped Rose and the two other humans?"

"Indeed I can, Zircon." The Diamond smirked as the court gasped and talked amongst each other.

"And because of this alliance, do you believe this human is a threat to the security of Homeworld?"

"I do."

"And can you confirm that this was one of the few beings that stopped you, my Diamond, and Bill from accomplishing your goals."

"Yes."

"Thank you, my Diamond. I will question you no further." Zircon turned away from Yellow Diamond as she continued to pace around the floor. Dipper watched anxiously as the court continued to speak and converse, eventually quieting down for Zircon to continue.

"More importantly, I have another witness on Earth is able to testify for you, My Diamond and her loyal court." She made a screen from her monocle that was enlarged for everyone to see. The screen showed a dark figure, surrounded by the shadow of what could be presumed as Earthly night. The light from the screen lit up the figure's face and features. The figure was in a black cloak and wore an intricate yellow mask over his face.

"I present, my Diamond, Count Montresor." Zircon motioned to the screen with reverence. Dipper looked in concentration for anything to unmask the anonymous human. Knowing everyone in Gravity Falls, he knew that no one had a first name or a last name of "Montresor". He had to look for humanly features that differentiated this human from everyone else. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. The cloak covered up most of the human's body and the mask covered up the face. Any mistakes in this protection were covered up by the blackness of night. Upon coming to this realization, Dipper quickly changed his identification technique from looking for different features to listening to this figure's speech patterns.

"My Diamond and her loyal court," the figure said as he saluted with the diamond symbol, their voice altered by the mask. "I am here to testify against the boy known as Mason Pines. Mason has self-destructive behavior that can damage himself and other humans."

"Can you please elaborate, Count Montresor?" Zircon asked as she continued to pace around the room.

"I was there when I saw the perfect example of his true behavior. I was watching a finely crafted opera when I watched a giant cake prop fall from the ceiling." Dipper made a confused look. What was Montresor talking about? Then, it clicked as Montresor told the final bits of the story. "There was Mason, standing over his two best friends. He was bleeding and his friends were badly hurt and he didn't bother to help them, all of this so that he could gain a journal about how to defeat my glorious Diamond!" Montresor accused as he pointed at Dipper.

"That's a lie!" Dipper cried out in rage as he ran towards the screen. Two of the gems that looked like the black and white gem immediately ran out and tried to reel in Dipper. He flailed in protest, neither one of the gems able to grab his hands or feet. "I would never hurt my friends! I was possessed by Bill!"

As he fought against the gems, the room went into chaos. Some of the Gems stood up from their seats in shock while Yellow Diamond smirked with success. One of the gems in an orangish color finally grabbed one of Dipper's hands and it was all over from there. As the few calm gems in the audience tried to silence the rest of the court, Dipper stared in utter hatred at the figure in the screen. Amidst the confusion, he could hear Montresor speak in a calm and cold voice.

"Looks like your good fortune has run out, Fortunato." Zircon started to end the transmission, but before the screen and audio feedback disappeared, Dipper heard Montresor's final words.

"Nemo me impune lecessit."

Dipper stopped his struggle as he thought through those final words. The final phrase the figure said was not in English. What it meant, however, must've been of importance to the situation. Why did Montresor choose to say those words if it didn't mean anything to them? Before he could try to piece together the meaning, unfortunately, the crowd settled and Yellow Diamond looked at Dipper with a smug smile.

"Mason Pines, it is time for your sentence." She then looked to her court. "It has been proven by Montresor that Mason is too dangerous to be put in the human zoo. He might harm all the fragile lives of those who live there. Thus, my loyal court, I have a proposal for a replacement. The hearing for this proposal will be announced very soon."

With that, Dipper watched as the court started to leave. Well, except for the black and white gem and the other gems of her type. They sat, staring at Dipper with unforgiving eyes. One, however, stuck out in the crowd of those gems. There were many ways she was different.

Like the other gems of her kind, she was monochromatic, her color being a greenish blue. What made her different was the fact she didn't look as battle ready as the other gems of her type were. Most were in military outfits and the few that didn't still had the look of a soldier. This gem wore a dark blue dress, a Yellow Diamond sign on a belt around her waist. Her gem was round, instead of the square shape most had and it was located on her forehead, much like Pearl. Her hair wasn't as short as the rest, since her hair went halfway down her back. The final thing that caught his attention was the fact her stare was different. It wasn't cold or unforgiving, like the rest. The stare seemed to be one of sadness, guilt, and pity for his sake.

"Quartzites, Facet 2B5K." Yellow Diamond called as the gems remaining stood up and walked in front of their Diamond. The gems made three lines in front of the gem monarch, two spaces missing a gem as those two were holding Dipper. Two of these gems stood to the side of the rest. The closest one Dipper could see was the blue gem, while the other outlier was the one who had brought him to the trial. The gems saluted in sync as they looked up to their monarch. Everyone, that is, except for the blue one. She seemed to even avoid gazing at Yellow Diamond, looking down at her feet and even occasionally glancing at Dipper again.

"Quartzite Cut-2B." Yellow Diamond addressed as the Quartzite that had brought Dipper in came to the front, still saluting.

"Yes, my wise Diamond." The Quartzite commander replied with reverence.

"Place Mason in a cell. Make sure it just barely meets standards and that there is no surveillance cameras." Yellow Diamond said, with distaste.

"Yes my Diamond." The commander answered as she nodded in agreement.

"And Quartzite Cut-15A."

The blue Quartzite jumped a little before she walked slowly towards the Diamond. "Yes, my Diamond?"

"You will make sure the... 'project'... remains functional throughout this Earth night." Yellow Diamond ordered with a smirk.

"Yes my Diamond." The Quartzite looked down at her feet, as if in shame, before Yellow Diamond ordered the rest of the Quartzites.

"As for the rest of you, prepare the equipment. The hearing will be in 24 hours."

"Yes, my Diamond." All the Quartzites said in unison before they all split off to their tasks and Dipper, reluctantly, was led deep into the heart of Homeworld.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If Dipper didn't know what "just barely meets standards" meant, he knew now. The cell was very much like the room he was held in before the trial, except it was not spotless at all. It seemed as though the gems tried to make his cell filthy. There was no bed, only hard ground. There were no doors, as the doors opened the same way every door did in Homeworld. There was no lighting from the ceiling and the only light that streamed in was from a window that both had a gem-proof barrier and metal bars. It made Dipper wonder if a human was held in here and escaped and that now Homeworld knew how to stop humans from escaping.

Despite the gloomy setting, Dipper tried to keep his hopes up. He would find a way to escape. It looked bad now but maybe... maybe he would escape. There had to be a way. He promised. He promised everyone. He promised Pacifica. He also was a pretty stubborn person. If Homeworld wanted to break his spirits, it wouldn't work. He was going to hold onto that hope until the day he died. His spirits would not break, no matter how hard Homeworld tried. With these thoughts, Dipper already felt more hopeful and determined. The only thing that worried him was the fact he couldn't explain his situation to Pacifica. They were a world and a half away and he didn't even say goodbye.

He was homesick, too. He missed everything weird about Gravity Falls. Sure, Homeworld was weird, but Gravity Falls had a sort of welcoming weird feeling to it. In the end, he felt like he needed to express these feelings in a way. His homesickness. His hopes. His wishes. Most prisoners had a way to send a letter to their loved ones, but Dipper hoped beyond logical hope that his way of explaining all of this to Pacifica would reach her ears. So, with all logic being tossed into the wind, he started to sing.

 _"In the light that falls at moonrise,"_ He walked towards the lone window as soft light fell on his face. _"In the rhythm of the rain. In the miracle of ordinary days!"_ He put his hands over his heart before he put his face up towards the window so he could see his surroundings. He grasped the bars in his hands and closed his eyes as he remembered home amidst the dark, night sky. _"In the hush of night, I will be in the whispers of lovers everywhere."_ He opened his eyes as they shined in the light, like the hope he had. _"You will find me there!"_

He backed away from the window as he closed his eyes again and thought of the simple things he had come to adore, thanks to his time being here. _"In the rustle of a curtain. In the bustle of the world. In a thousand little unexpected ways!"_

He put his head next to the window again as he opened his eyes and, instead of looking at the gems and buildings below, he looked at the stars. He searched until he saw approximately the location of the star he and Pacifica saw together. _"When you lift your gaze, I will be in the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere."_

Dipper closed his eyes again as he tried to voice his hope and promise to Pacifica, even if she was far away. _"I will be there, beside you through the lonely nights that fall so close your eyes! Remember my embrace."_

The concerned frown he had was replaced by a hopeful smile as he stood in the soft light that came from outside his cell as he looked at the star again and continued. _"I will be there! Like mercy, I will find you through it all!"_

Dipper placed his hands over his heart. _"This do I swear. I will be there."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A world away, Pacifica stood at the edge of the lake's harbor, looking up with a smile at the moon, which shined softly on her. Her hair tossed gently in the wind. As if she could hear Dipper from afar, she added her own verse to the song. _"In a language never spoken,"_

She gently held in her grasp Dipper's hat, a token to remember him by. She touched it softly with her hands, as if holding an ancient artifact that needed to be preserved. _"Live the promises we've made."_

She pulled Dipper's hat to her heart, clasped in both hands as she continued to look with hope at the stars. _"In the endless love that owns me heart and soul."_

 _"In the certainty that I'll always be true and as near as my next prayer, you will find me there!"_ Pacifica looked at the sky with determination and trust in her promise before closing her eyes.

 _"In the roaring of the river. In the haunting of the wind. In mysterious extraordinary ways!"_ She looked up at the sky, this time not at the moon, but at the star next to the moon. The one she deemed as Dipper's star. _"In the darkest sky, I will be like the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere."_

 _"I will be there! Beside you through the lonely nights that fall, so close your eyes! Remember my embrace!"_ She crossed her arms, as if to hug herself as she continued on. _"I will be there! Like freedom, I will find you through it all!"_ With a swift motion, she put on Dipper's hat, as if taking up her promises. _"This do I swear! I will be there!"_

She quickly ran out onto the harbor where boats were. Waves beat against the legs of the platform in sync with the beat as she closed her eyes and began to sing again. _"In the harbor quarter,"_

Dipper, all the way back in Homeworld, hit the walls of his cell as he tried to find his way out of the cell. As he did this, he added on. _"In the stone and mortar."_

As the two of them looked up at the stars, they both sang together in unison as they both pointed towards one star. _"In the star we both share!"_

 _"In the sound of laughter."_ Pacifica added as she closed her eyes, as if to imagine something.

 _"Now and ever after!"_ Dipper responded before he too closed his eyes with a smile.

 _"Look for me. I will be there-!"_ They both sang as they both imagined each other, meeting amongst the stars. They both stood a distance away before running to each other in the sky, Pacifica's hair infused with the stars and Dipper's hat with the moon.

 _"I will be there! Beside you through the lonely nights that fall!"_ The two of them said as they held each other's hands, as if promising something. _"So close your eyes."_

 _"Remember my embrace!"_ Dipper sang alone before Pacifica joined in late, like an echo. _"Remember my embrace!"_

 _"I will be there!"_ He said again as Pacifica echoed back, _"We'll be there."_

 _"Like justice, I will find you through it all!"_ They sang in unison, their starry sky counterparts opening their eyes as they continued.

 _"This do I swear!"_ Dipper sang as Pacifica responded, faster, _"This do I swear."_

 _"I will be there."_ Dipper's figure in the sky disappeared as he opened his eyes, to find himself in his cell. His smile faded a bit.

Pacifica opened her eyes too, and she said with hope and sadness, _"This do I swear. I will be there."_

 _"This do I swear. I will be there."_ They sang together as Pacifica walked somberly back home and Dipper continued to stare out at Homeworld with unhappiness in his gaze. He was tired of all this. He wished that this was all over. He wanted to go back home. Even his hope couldn't stop him from feeling emotionally drained.

In this state, he laid down on the hard floor and there he stayed, looking through the window at their star. He watched for at least an hour when the door opened to his room. He sat up but he didn't try to look at who was coming through. He didn't want his emotions to show. That's when he heard the Quartzites guarding his cell speak to the person.

"Quartzite A, make your visit quick. We don't want your dress to get dirty." One of the Quartzites said as they both laughed.

"Well, if I wasn't here, you two would still be Kindergarten trainers." The smooth and calm voice responded with a bit of attitude in her voice.

Abruptly, the laughing stopped to be replaced by an uneasy silence. Dipper heard steps into his cell and the door close and disappear from view. It was silent as the figure walked a distance towards Dipper. Then, she stopped. Dipper had an idea which gem had come to see him. Of course, the only way to see if he was right was to look. He tried to resist the urge to take a quick peek when she spoke.

"You're Mason, right?" This time, the voice was not only calm but also had a sort of caring sound to it. Dipper turned and found in front of him the blue Quartzite he had noticed before. She looked at him with curious eyes, full of wonder and pity. Her arms were behind her back, much like how a obedient child would if they were listening to their parents.

"Who wants to know?" Dipper replied, bitterly. He had to seem tough. He didn't want any gem to think he was breaking. Sure, he didn't feel like he was breaking down but he knew that it was all about first impressions.

"I want to know." The gem answered. From the tone of her voice, she sounded genuinely curious. She didn't seem like the type of gem that would ask so that she could put the name on the record. She wanted to know. Still, Dipper could be betrayed by her. She might be putting on a facade. An elaborate one, granted, but still a trick nonetheless.

After answering her with silence, she sighed before she walked closer to him. As she reached where he was, she made her gem glow a blue light to brighten up the scene. Dipper watched her cautiously. Then, she put out her right hand from behind her back. In her hand was an apple. It was the color of a Granny Smith apple, but it looked somewhat crystalline in shape, telling Dipper immediately that this food came from someplace in the human zoo or an equivalent.

Dipper eyed it suspiciously. This had to be a trap. The Diamonds wouldn't give him food this good unless this was a trick. Maybe there was poison or something to knock him out inside the apple. Maybe it did something unfathomable to him, if he ate it. In his experience of making deals with people, or in some cases, demons, he knew better than to trust his eyes.

The gem seemed to be unfazed by his reluctance as she pulled the apple away and started moving away, her back towards him. "Alright. You don't have to talk. I'll just have to eat this myself. I've been practicing how to eat, after all." She replied, trying not to sound like she cared. Dipper immediately felt the gnawing hunger in his stomach and he had to make a choice. Take his chances with the apple or starve in his cell. In the end, he was willing to risk it.

"I want it." Dipper murmured, almost too soft to be heard but the gem stopped in her tracks nonetheless. She turned and walked back a ways until she could give it to the boy. He took it hesitantly and said his last prayers as he took a bite. The gem watched with a small smile as she sat down on the ground in front of him. The fruit did taste like the food from the human zoo. He could almost hear someone say, "This time, it's green!" When he finished, he didn't feel quite as hungry and he didn't feel poisoned. Well, he didn't feel like a fast-acting poison was in the apple. He looked at the gem, eyeing her with suspicion.

"What was in the apple?" He asked in a whisper, looking at where she sat.

"I didn't put anything in it. Of course, if you won't take my word for it, you will believe me when you aren't dead in three seconds." She looked up at the ceiling as if counting in her head until three seconds went by. Then, upon seeing Dipper's concerned face, she put on a teasing and playful smile. "If I had wanted to hurt you, Mason, I wouldn't have done it physically. The Diamonds want everything to be useful for them and a dead human is not useful."

"Where did you get it?" Dipper whispered under his voice.

"I smuggled it from the human zoo before I left. The gems asked for my personal opinion on a problem they were having with the humans. Then, Yellow Diamond ordered all Facet 2B5K Quartzites of cuts A and B to assemble at a trial. I realized from word of mouth that a human was being judged and I got the fruit from there." She replied, not trying to be quiet.

"Why are you telling me this here and now?" Dipper asked, his methodical mind trying to process what this gem was thinking.

"I am telling this to you here because there are no cameras here. If there were surveillance cameras, Blue Diamond would be able to access the footage of the cameras at will, and Yellow Diamond does not want that. She ordered us to send you to a cell without cameras for this reason. If we took down the cameras in one cell where Blue Diamond knows there are working cameras, that is suspicious too and she'd see to it personally." Quartzite paused. "I am telling you this now because I am supposed to be watching over your health at this time."

"Yes, but why are you telling me this? Why are you helping me?" Dipper blurted out as he looked at the gem with uncertainty.

"Because it is the right thing to do." Quartzite said in a soft, determined tone of voice. "You're a part of the Crystal Gems, right?"

Dipper hesitated. Should he trust her with the truth? It couldn't hurt, he guessed. Every gem knew he helped "Rose Quartz" escape. He nodded slowly. She turned her head to look away from him.

"In another time or place, I would've joined Rose Quartz and her band of rebels, but I was too afraid. I ran and I was forced to live on Homeworld. I thought Earth was destroyed by the Diamonds and that the only place I could be myself was gone. I thought only the humans in the human zoo were all that was left..." Then, she turned towards Dipper with a hopeful, tired expression. She smiled a little. "But then, you come and I learned something that Yellow Diamond and the court had hidden from me for millennias. That Earth is still there."

"So, you want to return to Earth." Dipper concluded, already seeing Quartzite's aspirations and hopes.

"Not me. We." She corrected as she grabbed Dipper's shoulder in a sign of companionship.

"You mean... you're helping me escape?" Dipper tried to clarify, stunned to find an ally in a place of enemies. Quartzite smiled a little.

"Yes." She answered as she took her hand off of his shoulder. "I have a friend who has a ship. She is planning on bringing it here and having us stowaway on it to make it back to Earth. But there's a catch."

"What's the catch?" Dipper asked, hoping the problem wasn't too bad.

"This entire sector is in lockdown. Yellow Diamond is stopping any ships from entering and that order will be in place until three of your Earth weeks are over." Quartzite paused to think. "If we want to get back to Earth in one piece, we just have to play along with the Diamonds. That is, if you're with me, Mason."

Quartzite seemed sincere in her hopes and plans. If her words were right, she was risking everything by telling him this. If Yellow Diamond found this out, she might was well just consider herself shards. Her body posture in front of Yellow Diamond was proof enough that she wasn't really fond of the Diamonds. Dipper's logical side told him it could be a ruse. An act. Just a trap to stop him from escaping. The other side of Dipper, however, realized that he had nothing to lose. He was trapped on Homeworld. Who knew what the cruel Diamond had in store for him? It could be a torturous death and even then, how much worse would it be if she found him escaping? She would punish him by torturing him to death. If Quartzite's plan worked, he would be able to escape and keep his promise. Well, minus the fact he would be gone for three weeks. In the end, his decision turned out simple.

"Dipper." He corrected the blue gem. "My friends call me Dipper." He smiled with a daring smile and immediately, the Quartzite gem knew what he had chosen. She smiled back as she moved to sit beside him. He didn't try to move away from her as a sign of trust.

"My friend called me Moonlight." She laughed a little. "Sounds a lot like Quartzite, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, Moonlight." Dipper nodded with a small smile.

Then, from behind her back, Quartzite pulled out another apple. She put it in front of Dipper but he shook his head. The apple was quite filling, actually. It was like one apple was an entire meal. Quartzite shrugged as she looked at the apple. Then, she took a bite and tried to eat it. She looked like someone who just learned how to eat, as she chewed slowly and swallowed it after a minute.

"You know," Quartzite started. "I have been practicing eating my whole life and this is the first time I have actually eaten real human food."

"I can tell." Dipper replied with a teasing smile.

"Yeah. I must say though, this is way better than eating rocks on Earth." She grinned in amusement.

"You ate rocks?"

"Yeah. I was made on Earth and immediately, I was fascinated with the planet. I wanted to eat, like all lifeforms do. Unfortunately, I didn't know at that time that organisms, such as yourself, don't eat rocks for nutrients and energy."

Dipper laughed a little and Quartzite joined. She seemed to like spending time with him, in that short time. When they both stopped laughing, she immediately had to leave. With a wink, she put out her hand and gave him a thing piece of rock in a cylinder shape and said, "So you can keep track."

She brushed the dirt from the ground off her dress before she exited room. Dipper had more hope than ever. He was going to escape in three weeks. He was going to count down the days to come until he would finally go home. With that, he took the rock and, to his delight, found it was easy to write with, as he made a tally.

 _Day 1_

 **A/N: No torture for today, guys. I'm sorry but I'm super tired and I'm writing this the night before another school day. Anyways, Mondego's name was inspired by** _ **The Cask of Amontillado**_ **by Edgar Allen Poe. Honestly, Mondego is all about theatrics and he is a nerd of classic literature. Part of the reason he learned how to sword fight was to be like the heroes in his favorite literature books. Anyways, next chapter is definitely going to have torture. Dunno how that's gonna go. All I can say is that it is going to be somewhat based off of the angsty torture my favorite characters go through in my other favorite fandoms.**

 **Stonemason Other Fandom Connection of the Day: Dipper's gonna pull a Will Byers and go missing for weeks and when he finally remembers himself, he's gonna be a shaken up kid that is scared of himself. (Stranger Things)**


	3. Everyday a Little Death

**A/N *reading "How To Torture Kids: Writers Edition"* Oh hi. I didn't see you come in. I am Blast of Fanfics but you can call me Katie. This torture-filled torture was mainly inspired by two of my favorite mind-manipulating villains. One of which is Bill Cipher. I assume you already know him. The other is named Betty but is called Bête Noire. In the story she is in, she tricks people into seeing the things they fear or the things they love and then she kills the person while they are facing their inner demons. I didn't do the "kill character" thing but the manipulating minds is pretty cool. In other news, this might be the last song chapter for a while. That means more torture, more visits to earth to visit Steven and the rest, and more angst just in general. Well, at least until we get to I know those eyes/This man is dead. Anyways, enough rambling. Let's see if I can do angst and get some tears (physical or mental tears are valid), shall we?**

"How are you feeling?" Quartzite asked Dipper, concern crossing her features. Quartzite had found him on the floor, still awake after his chance for sleep. Dipper had very little sleep, due to the hard floors. With nothing to pad the ground, it was expected that lack of sleep would just continue until it reached the point that he could sleep anywhere. Of course, he was used to this lack of sleep but he hadn't prepared for it. His tiredness piled onto the other things that were wrong. He was hungry, thirsty, and in a dark room. All in all, this made him unhappy, although he didn't care to say it.

"I'm fine." He replied, with no care to elaborate. Quartzite seemed to notice this and turned away to look at the wall across from her.

"An hour until your hearing." She said in a flat voice. It seemed that whenever she had to say something unfortunate, he voice would become less lively. Die. It sometimes sounded like she was a computer whenever she mentioned something she was sad about.

"Y-yeah." He answered, as he too looked away from the gem that sat next to him. He felt uneasy. If the trial was that bad, how bad would his sentence be? The thought made him feel frightened. Powerless. Any power he thought he had was gone. As he tried to distance himself from the thoughts of the near future, he thought of something Quartzite had said the night before. Dipper figured this time was as good as any.

"I heard what you said last time to those other Quartzite gems. What was up with that?" Dipper asked, trying to catch the gem's eyes.

"O-oh... that... I... well..." She paused and took a deep breath in before she looked at Dipper with uncertainty. "You see, Quartzites are supposed to be an elite guard. The best of the best. Before the Rebellion, not many were made. There wasn't very many wars against Homeworld. I was one of the few made in peacetime."

"Lots of Quartzites were made during the war but we take a long time to mature in the ground, so very few actually got to see war. After the Rebellion, there were many Quartzites left over, many of which were called failures because they failed to protect Pink Diamond." She winced at the name of the shattered Diamond but she continued. "Quartzites became obsolete, most of us becoming trainers of Quartzes in Kindergartens. You can imagine the discrimination. The once mighty elite soldiers and guards brought down so low as to train their replacements."

"But, you see, I was one of the few that weren't brought down so low. Homeworld needed me. I know the most about humans than any other gem. Before the battles and war and destruction, I visited the few humans I could and "studied" them. I know the most and so, Blue Diamond needs me to help with the human zoo. Suffice to say, I retired from fighting."

"So, what brought you and those other gems out of retirement?" Dipper asked, despite seeing Quartzite's reluctance to continue down memory lane.

"Yellow Diamond prepared for your arrival long before you arrived." She said, slowly and softly.

"What?! How could they-" Dipper started before Quartzite's soft voice silenced him.

"I don't know, but I think it has something to do with Montresor. Yellow Diamond never accounts for a human being's opinion unless it is for her benefit." Quartzite replied before continuing with her story. "Anyways, Yellow Diamond had a project that had been long in the making. I don't know very much about what the project entails, but all I know is that she wanted me to be a part of it. It also involves you."

"Me?!" Dipper yelled out in astonishment and fear. "What could they possibly want from me?"

"Dipper, I don't know. Yellow Diamond only sent part of the plans to me. The full plans went to Quartzite 2-B. She's the leader of this project. She's the only one that knows what they want from you." Quartzite stared off at the wall, as if she were staring into space. "What I have been able to gather is that Yellow Diamond needed trainers. Trainers to teach something or someone the ways of a Quartzite. I doubt the trainee is a Quartzite but Yellow Diamond must really be desperate if she is bringing 'failures' out of retirement."

They sat in silence, each deep in thought. Dipper processed this new information. If he wanted to avoid thinking about his fate, this didn't help. The information buzzed in his head and wouldn't leave him alone. Why did the Diamonds need him? What were they going to do to him if they planned his fate before he even arrived in Homeworld? He felt powerless, hopeless, and utterly alone. He could feel tears burn his eyes but before he could even sob, Quartzite spoke.

"What's it like? On Earth, I mean."

Dipper rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "I-it's nice. I've lived my whole life there." He laughed a little under his breath.

"What's your favorite thing about it?" Quartzite asked as she turned to look at Dipper in curiosity.

Dipper thought to himself before he came up with an answer. "I like how it is never the same." He replied with a small smile. "There's always something different about it. Things are always changing. You think for one moment that you know everything and then you find out you never knew anything. In Summer, it is fun to run through the trees with your best friend, the trees giving you shade with its branches and leaves. Then, after a couple of months, the leaves change colors and fall off. You're able to make a pile of leaves and those same leaves that provided you with shade in the summer become the most fun activity to do."

"Leaves." Quartzite mused silently. "Leaves sound fun." Quartzite smiled.

"Yeah. They are. Every Fall, Mabel and I go outside and rake the leaves up into a big pile. Then, we jump into it together and play in the leaves." Dipper smiled softly as he remembered his times with Mabel. There was sadness, of course, from the fact that she had gone somewhere, but he always loved playing in the leaves with her.

"Who's Mabel?" She asked.

"Mabel? Oh. She's my twin sister." Dipper responded quickly.

"What's a twin sister?"

Dipper frowned as he tried to think of an answer. How could he explain to a gem the idea of a sibling. It was a difficult task, given that gems didn't have mothers or fathers or genetics. They were just themselves and they had no concept of family. He continued to think of a way to tell her.

"W-well... a sister... a sibling is... it's kind of like..." Dipper paused before he found an explanation of sorts. He took out the piece of stone Quartzite had given him and started drawing in the ground, Quartzite watching in fascination. He drew the best he could. He drew a simple image of his mom and his dad.

"Ok. So, here's two humans. These two humans have a kid. A tinier version of a human, like me." Quartzite nodded in understanding as Dipper drew himself next to his parents. "Then, they have another kid." Dipper drew Mabel, smiling at Dipper and Quartzite. "The kids are siblings. They both have the same parents. The boy is called a brother and the girl is called a sister. Together, they are the best of friends."

Dipper half-expected Quartzite to nod or say she understood. She didn't, however. She was fixated on the drawing, analyzing it as if it were a historical document. Dipper sighed as he dropped the writing rock next to the drawings and leaned up against the wall. Maybe Quartzite didn't get it. Maybe the concept was just too foreign for the blue gem. Before he could dismiss her persistence in trying to understand, she spoke in a soft whisper.

"I had a sister once." Dipper took a double take. How could a gem have a sister? They weren't organic beings. Then again, maybe she understood the concepts and were now applying it to her life. Either way, he watched her as she took the stone from where he dropped it and started drawing.

She started drawing a wall with some holes in it. It didn't take Dipper long to realize it was the Kindergarten. Then, Quartzite drew a hole in the foreground and drew a person. As the figure took shape, Dipper could tell it was a younger version of the Quartzite in front of him. She looked different. Her hair was still long but not as long as it was now. It was about shoulder height. She didn't wear a dress. She wore normal military gear, like the rest of her kind did and her gem was still positioned where it was now. Then, she drew another hole and a different gem was drawn. This gem looked almost identical to her. There was no difference between the two gems that were drawn. That is, except for the gem placement. The new gem had her gem on her chest.

"She was just like me. We both came from the same ejector and we looked exactly the same. Not many Quartzites look the same, but we did. We came out of the ground at the same time and we had the same interests. When they gave her a name and number, I was almost surprised to find ours were not the same. I was A-15 and hers was A-16."

Quartzite paused before she continued speaking. "We loved Earth, unlike the other Quartzites around us. We would've joined the Rebellion in a heartbeat, if we weren't told lies. They told us they shattered gems for fun and that mercy was never their strong suit. So, we never joined but we never left each other's side."

Then, Quartzite rubbed the first drawing away with her sleeves until it was gone, before starting to draw a different drawing. This time, she drew a field. A field full of weapons. Explosions were everywhere and gems were fighting. However, that wasn't the important part. Amidst the fighting, a Quartzite stood, looking worried and searching for something. Upon further examination, Dipper realized it was the Quartzite who drew the image who was searching. As if he needed clarification, Quartzite continued.

"Then, the first battle I'd ever been in came to us. In the middle of the battle, I realized she wasn't there. I looked all over but I feared she was shattered by the rogue gems."

Then, she drew another battle scene. Just like the last one except there were two Quartzites in the center. They were holding hands and smiling. One of which was Quartzite's companion, completely different now. She wore a dress now, almost matching Quartzite's current dress. The only difference was that around the belt was a star.

"Then, at the final battle of the war, I saw her. She was fighting with the Crystal Gems. I went to meet her when we saw each other. She told me something Homeworld didn't: the truth. She told me that we could fight together. We could be together and run away from Homeworld's tyranny and live on Earth if they won the final battle. I was about to join the Rebels." Quartzite seemed to fade out as if caught in thought.

"What happened?" Dipper asked, cautiously. He didn't want to exactly hit upon a rough spot to Quartzite but he wanted to know. Quartzite, however, answered the question quickly. With a swift motion, she crossed out her companion. Immediately, Dipper knew. That Quartzite didn't survive the battle.

"I distracted her." Quartzite finally answered. "We were too busy talking that I didn't notice the gem behind her. In a swift motion, they shattered her and I was all alone again. They told us to run and I did. When I went back to Homeworld, I regretted everything. I was the last of the cut A Quartzites."

"So that's why you knew that the Diamonds wanted you specifically. They called for Cut A Quartzites when you were the last." Dipper concluded, looking at Quartzite with empathy. "I'm so sorry, Quartzite."

Quartzite rubbed something off her cheeks, revealing that although her voice tone didn't change, she had tears running. Once she rubbed it off, however, she looked like she hadn't been crying silently at all. She turned to Dipper and smiled a little.

"No. I'm sorry that you have to be caught in this situation. I don't know what will happen, but I know you can hold on." Quartzite then rephrased it slightly. "We can hold on." Then, she turned to look at Dipper with a concerned look. "Do you need anything? If you need anything, now's the time to ask. I'm not allowed to visit you during or after the hearing until an hour or so afterwards. Diamond's orders."

"I guess I could use some water. And food." Dipper replied, a neutral expression across his face.

"I'll see if I can order some water. As for the food..." She didn't dare finish the sentence but Dipper frowned when he figured it out.

"They aren't giving me any until after the hearing, are they?" He said, causing Quartzite to look at him with pity.

"I think they're just trying to break your spirits." She tried to reassure him, even though the thought didn't reassure herself. "It's got to be the oldest tricks in the book for your kind. Just don't let them get to you. Remember, hope is on the way."

"Yeah." Dipper responded, his voice less lively as he processed his feelings and thoughts. Quartzite got up from the ground and immediately headed towards where the door would reappear before she turned and looked at him again.

"I'll send you the water. They brought shipments here before your arrival, as always." Quartzite looked like as if she wanted to say more. Before she placed her hand to open the door, she sighed. She didn't turn around but merely told him in a soft whisper. "If you have to do anything at the hearing, please. Be yourself."

Then, the door reappeared and she went through it, looking at him with a kind smile, trying to reassure him as the door closed. Once again, Dipper was alone with his thoughts. Once again, darkness and silence filled the room. His thoughts were only disturbed when the door opened and an agate of some sort dropped a bag full of water. She didn't speak to him and she only glared at him until the door closed. He carefully opened the transparent bag, trying not to spill a single drop of the precious substance. Admittedly, it was hard to drink, due to the flimsiness of the plastic, but he didn't care. His thirst was all that mattered.

Afterwards, he found his thoughts were somewhat clearer, without the constant worry of dehydration. Deep down, he thanked Quartzite. He thanked her for the help with everything. She was truly the last hope he had and she was delivering that hope, even if it came in the hands of a disinterested agate. Upon analyzing his feelings, he came to realize the thing he was the most grateful about Quartzite.

He thanked her for being there. Because of her, he didn't exactly feel like he was alone. In the few minutes he had spent with her, he found that those were the happiest moments in this cell. Granted, there wasn't much competition, but it still mattered to him. They were waiting in hope together.

Dipper kept this thought in his mind when two quartzes came to lead him to the courtroom again. Since Quartzite wasn't allowed, he figured none of the quartzites were allowed to come to the hearing. Still, he wished someone was there to speak on his behalf. He wished someone was just there. An ally. A friend. Anyone. Instead, when he entered the courtroom again, he was met with glaring eyes, full of malicious intent. The leader of these gems was the malevolent diamond, herself. She sat with a smug expression on her face. She had no reason to feel threatened.

Dipper glared back at the faces. He was not going to let his fear show. He was going to fight the stares and the hatred and the only way to do that was to show he wasn't in pain. Yellow Diamond then spoke.

"My loyal court, in this quick hearing, I have an alternative option for Mason." Yellow Diamond said to her subjects before she turned to Dipper. She frowned at him before she spoke coldly. "Your two choices are painfully simple and it will be quite obvious what the right decision is, so don't disappoint me."

"Well, I aim to be a disappointment." Dipper countered, daringly. Yellow Diamond's expression turned to one of frustration and he smiled a little at that. He had made the Diamond annoyed. Now that was an accomplishment.

"You might want to refrain from that behavior, Mason. Your unwillingness to cooperate will only bring you pain and suffering, and I know you would prefer to avoid that." Yellow Diamond responded, coldly.

"Yeah, well, I'd prefer a lot of things. For one, I'd prefer to not be in a cold, dark cell, but that isn't going to change that." Dipper retorted.

"And I'd prefer if you shut up!" Yellow Diamond yelled out. Dipper immediately stopped, but inside, he was beaming. He had managed to frustrate a Diamond. His famous last move before his death. He looked to the court and many of the gems had their hands over their mouths. No one had ever talked back to a Diamond. Well, Dipper was a first. First human they had ever given a trial for. First person to talk back to a Diamond. He was truly on a roll.

Yellow Diamond composed herself before looking at Dipper with impatience. " I have been told by my Sapphires that Rose will soon be back on Earth somehow. If you willing join our Quartzites, you will be spared the pain and anguish if you don't. You will be trained in the art of old Quartzine combat and you will be sent to Earth. There, you will enact Homeworld's justice and rebuke your old alliances when you bring to me the shards of Rose Quartz!"

"And what makes you think I would do that?!" Dipper shouted in anger. "What makes you think I will betray my friends and family?!" He scowled at the gem matriarch.

"Because, it is an instinct all life forms have. Some call it self-preservation. I call it common sense." She looked down coldly at him with no remorse in her gaze. "I believe that it would be wise for you to actually listen to that common sense for once."

"I think your idea of common sense is flawed. Common sense tells me not to trust you, because you lie and manipulate. Last trial was an example of that." He crossed his arms defiantly as Yellow Diamond glared at him.

"My patience wears thin, Mason. I gave you the logical choice and this is your last chance to choose it."

"I don't care if this is my first chance or the last chance! I'm not doing it, no matter what you do!" Dipper shouted out, the crowd in silent disbelief at what they were seeing.

Yellow Diamond looked down at him in collected disbelief. Still, she was composed but what unnerved Dipper was the fact a smirk crossed her face slowly, as if this was a part of her plan. Dipper's defiant scowl turned into a confused and worried look. The Diamond must've planned for this. She must've tricked him, somehow. He thought through the past words he'd said but there was nothing wrong with them. All of his statements were still true and were still his choices. This was the Diamond's reaction to these statements and he didn't like it.

Yellow Diamond clapped her hands together. "Suit yourself, Mason." Then, she turned to her right. "Quartzes, get him down to Quartzite cut 2-B. Tell her she has 168 hours to give Mason a... taste of what's to come. Then, she can start the modifications."

With that, Quartz guards grabbed Dipper by his arms and led him down the halls of Homeworld. All the while he was poked and prodded, he couldn't help but dread what would come. What did Homeworld have in store? What was he going to experience for the next 168 hours? What was the other choice? What path had he chosen? He tried to calm himself down as he remembered the key part of that exchange. Whatever he chose, it was better than betraying his friend willingly. He would rather die than become Yellow Diamond's personal assassin. Shivers went down his spine as he remembered the cruel smile she had on her face. What had it meant? What was she so happy about? Didn't she just lose her chance for an assassin?

He was brought back to reality when the Quartzes lead him through an entryway. There was an empty darkly-lit room, with only a reclining seats, like those at the doctor's, in the center of the room. It had lots of metal cuffs to hold him in place, two for his hands, two for his feet, and one across his torso and another one for around his throat. The two Quartz guards pushed him forward into the room, causing Dipper to stumble a bit before catching his footing. With that, the door disappeared behind the guards as they forcefully put him on the seat, even though he didn't provide any resistance.

Dipper sat in the reclined seat, his head against the metal headrest with no padding to soften the surface. The Quartzes pulled down the metal restraint that went across his torso and locked it into place, careful not to put it down too far, as to put it too close to his skin. This meant there was a little room for him to move. Before he could think of escaping, however, the Quartz guards did the same thing around his throat, careful, again, not to let it touch his skin and that there was a little room between the two substances.

Then, they went on to lock his wrists down by his side and his ankles. When they locked down Dipper's wrists and ankles, however, they clamped it down all the way. He felt the cold touch of the metal on his exposed skin and clenched his teeth to ease the shock. Once Dipper was secure in place, the Quartzes left through the door that reappeared for them. Once it closed, Dipper was left alone in the dimly lit room, wondering with dread what the gems were going to do to him.

Dipper waited for a couple of minutes until a gem came through a door that appeared to the right of him, the opposite of where he came from. The gem was a Peridot, her form akin to the Peridot back at home. However, this Peridot had her on her chest and still had her limb enhancers. Behind her was the leader of Quartzite cut-B. Both Gems glared at each other in indifference. Then, they seemed to avoid each other's gaze and do other tasks.

"Do we really have to use your old Quartzine tech?" The Peridot said silently, as her flying fingers made a screen. With a tap, the floor of the room glowed a bright white color.

"My Diamond put me in charge of this operation." The leader replied hotly, as she touched a portion of the wall beside her, causing the door to shut and disappear. "It is my belief that the machine is still of use to this cause, even if it is a modification of its original purpose." Then, with a swipe on that same portion of wall, machinery appeared out of the ground, surrounding the Peridot and Quartzite with screens, much like a mission control. The only way for them to reach the same area Dipper was in was through an archway that neither gem came near to start that moment.

The Peridot scowled at the Quartzite leader from the pull of rank but if she were about to protest, she held her tongue and continued to hit buttons until another set of machinery came out the floor, this time, in Dipper's section of the room. It popped up behind Dipper's head. Because of this, he struggled to get a good look at it without touching the cold metal around his throat. The Quartzite leader came through the archway and stood to his right side. She stared at him coldly for a second, her arms crossed behind her back.

He glared back at her, causing her to smirk back. "So, you do have a warrior's spirit? Daring, even when you are staring at certain anguish and death. I can admire that." With a smile, she went behind him and pulled the machine over Dipper's head like a helmet. It clasped his head tightly as the cold metal held onto his forehead. The machine seemed to be secure around the seat, causing Dipper to be held in place. His mind raced. What was this machine? Whatever it was, it wasn't good news for him.

The Quartzite leader, after securing the mechanical device around his head and locking the device in place, went back into the other walled side of the room. She spoke to the Peridot softly, too softly for Dipper to hear from his own nervous panting. Then, the leader spoke to him directly.

"Are you ready, Mason?" She asked with a hint of cruel humor and smugness.

"Ready for what?" He cried out in response, unable to hold back his fear any longer.

"Your taste of nightmares." She smirked as Dipper's fear shown on his face while staring at her. Emotions flooded him all at once from the anticipation. Dread. Fear. Anger. Tears formed in his eyes as the Quartzite leader pressed a button.

Dipper cried out in pain, tears rolling down his cheeks as he closed his eyes. His body was on fire, the burning pain spreading through every nerve of his being. Involuntarily, his body tense up and tried to escape the metal restraints. His hands were clenched into fists, trying to distract himself from the agony and the burning, but to no avail. He clenched his teeth to try and stop any further cries, screams, or yells. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't break under the pressure. That was what Homeworld wanted and he wouldn't give up without a fight.

He struggled to open his eyes once again. Once he did, he glared angrily at the gems behind the machinery. Peridot looked at him before turning to look at the Quartzite leader in confusion and doubt. The Quartzite leader, however, would not look at her, her eyes fixed on Dipper in interest and a little smile at her lips.

At the sight, he grew more angered at the Quartzite leader. She smiled happily as he suffered through the pain. As he felt like he was being burned alive from the inside. No. He wouldn't let her see him break. She didn't deserve it. He wouldn't give Yellow Diamond or her lackeys what they wanted.

Amidst the torture Dipper felt, the Quartzite leader looked to Peridot and nodded. Peridot looked hesitant to do the order but she closed her eyes as she touched her finger screen to activate something. With the activation, the worst jolt of pain Dipper had felt in his life as he let out a yell. The pain was too much for him to hold back the screams and yells of agony anymore. Everything hurt and it felt a hundred times worse than being on fire. He didn't know how to describe it. It was like he was being torn apart in a fiery blaze. He closed his eyes to block to agony once again and hoped it would be over soon. Whether the gems stopped his torture or death came knocking at his door, he didn't care. He just wanted it to stop.

Then, as quick as the pain had started, it was gone. His muscles felt sore and every bone ached but the burning, torn-apart pain was gone. It was silent, with only Dipper's panting breaking the silence. He wanted to open his eyes but he didn't want to see Homeworld. He wanted to see his home. Earth. He wanted to see Earth. Dipper knew, though, that he couldn't close his eyes forever, no matter how hard he tried.

Shaking, he involuntarily sat up. Before his mind could remind him of the metal restraints, he was surprised to find they weren't there anymore. He rubbed his eyes with his free arms, despite how sore they felt. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and gasped. He was somewhere else. It wasn't Homeworld. It was home. He was back on Earth.

There was a problem, however. A giant X crossed the orange and black sky, strange colors coming through from the rift it caused. He was in the middle of Gravity Falls, but every building was on fire, destroyed, or eaten somewhat. Strange creatures were everywhere, including eyebats that flew in the sky. Dipper stood up, shocked. He was back in Weirdmageddon. How did this happen? What was going on? Why was he back here?

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Pine Tree." A familiar and hostile voice came from behind him. Dipper turned suddenly as a look of fear and confusion crossed his face. There was the triangle one-eyed demon, Bill Cipher. "I gotta hand it to ya, kid. Without your help, Shooting Star would've never given me the rift. You deserve a prize. How about an indescribable horror from another dimension?"

With a snap of his fingers, something appeared behind Bill. It was truly indescribable in the fact that Dipper could hardly comprehend what he saw but he still let out a scream at the sight until Bill snapped it out of existence, leaving Dipper struggling to recall the horror of the being or monster. Once he regained his composure, however, he glared at the demon with unforgiving eyes.

"How is this possible?! We defeated you!" Dipper yelled in outrage.

"Defeat is relative, kid. What is considered a win for you could be only a set back for me." Bill replied nonchalantly.

"Well, even if we didn't defeat you, why would I ever help you?!" Dipper countered.

"Why don't you ask yourself? You already helped me, Pine Tree, when you hurt Shooting Star's feelings." Bill said. "You wanted to work with Stanford and leave your sister behind. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were abandoning her."

Dipper felt guilt stab through him like a knife. Bill had reopened a wound that was still healing. Even though Dipper promised Mabel he wasn't going to be Ford's apprentice, it still hurt to have the knowledge that he hurt her so badly that she accidentally caused Weirdmageddon. In the end, it all came down to him. It was his fault Weirdmageddon happened, not his sister's. If he had thought about Mabel's feelings in the matter, maybe that wouldn't have happened.

"I-I didn't mean to abandon her..." Dipper stuttered, unable to continue to sound sure of himself. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I'm not blaming you, Pine Tree. I'm merely thanking you for making all this possible." Bill replied with glee. "I mean, whoever thought you had it in you? Accepting the apprenticeship and then pretending you cared about her feelings? That was hilarious!"

"I really do care!" Dipper cried out, as if trying to reassure himself. "I care about Mabel's feelings! I was just stupid!"

"Just keep telling yourself that, kid." Bill said with a playful shrug.

"Mabel knows I made a stupid decision that day! Nothing can change that!" Dipper yelled out, his strength and confidence increasing as he drew his strength from this knowledge. "I care about Mabel because she's my sister!"

That's when the world changed. It was as if the world around him was a screen and the screen was breaking. White cracks started forming and then spread with each word he said. It finally made sense in Dipper's logical mind. This was all a dream. Something the machine conjured and made him think it was reality. This was a way to break him mentally. However, since this was a dream and he realized this, it was a now a lucid dream, meaning he could make the nightmares stop and end this.

Dipper closed his eyes as the world continued to crack and break around him. As he focused on returning to reality, he heard the world around him break faster. In that moment, he felt calm. In that calming presence, he thanked Mabel for her forgiveness. With a smile on his face, he spoke his last words before the dream broke.

"And you are just a nightmare."

With those words, the dull ache of his bones and sore muscles once again felt like he was on fire. He didn't scream, however, as feeling returned to his body. He felt more alive, in a way. The pain was still there and it still hurt him, but it was more bearable now. He opened his eyes to find himself in the same room he had been before. He was back on Homeworld.

He dared to turn and stare at the Quartzite and Peridot. The Peridot had a shocked expression across her face, as if she hadn't expected him to wake back up. The Quartzite leader, however, held a blank stare at Dipper. She seemed to both be watching and deep in thought at the same time. Then, she looked over towards Peridot and nodded. Peridot, still shocked as ever, nodded back slowly and tapped her finger screen.

The fiery pain and the sensation of being torn apart dulled. Still, Dipper's entire body hurt from the prolonged exposure to the pain. The torture was gone but as he tried to move his arms a little, he cried out a little as his arms burned. Everything was sore. Not only was it sore, but each time he moved, his body would burn as if the torture had never really stopped. Dipper laid groggily in the chair. He felt drained, physically and emotionally, and he found that he couldn't think straight. Even the loud talking between Peridot and the Quartzite leader couldn't be deciphered, as he would faze out every other line in the conversation. The only part that really struck him was when Peridot started complaining about the technology again.

"This technology is programmed to think." The Quartzite leader replied in annoyance. "This was the control test."

"There has to be something wrong with it." The Peridot argued. "No gem has ever gotten out of the dream state that fast."

"But he isn't a gem, is he? He's organic. Made of flesh and blood." She countered, causing the Peridot to stop and think to herself. "If I knew one thing when I offered to do this job, it was that this wouldn't be easy. I told my Diamond my opinion on the matter and she chose a different tactic. If this means anything, it means that I might be right."

Dipper faded out from the conversation, unable to comprehend the meaning of the part he heard. Then, the Quartz guards returned. While Peridot and Quartzite continued to speak and argue, the guards pulled off the restraints that held Dipper in place. Then, despite the pain of his sore arms and legs, they forced him to move.

Dipper grimaced with each step. The Quartzes didn't seem to care that he limped or that with each movement, he gasped a little. They were more concerned about getting him to his location. Dipper had never felt his legs this sore in his life. It was so painful that at times, he stumbled and almost fell, causing the Quartzes to hold him a little bit before pushing him off a little ways. Then, to his relief, they opened up the door to his cell.

When Dipper hesitated to go in, the guards pushed him in, causing him to fall to the ground. Then, the door shut behind him. He lay on the floor for a while as he slowly got out of his groggy state. Physically, everything hurt. Even just laying on the ground hurt a little. Emotionally, however, he felt conflicted. He was proud of himself. He had withstood the torture better than most, if what he heard from the Peridot and Quartzite was correct. That didn't make up for the pain, though. The pain made him feel despair. He was useless. He couldn't move and he might not even move again. He would do anything to end the pain.

When tears started forming, he didn't bother to stop them from falling. With a sob, he pulled his knees close to chest as he went into a sitting position in the farthest corner of the room. With his hat nowhere to be found, he covered his eyes with his left hand. It was frightening to have his mind be put into a horrific landscape so easily, as well as immediately inflict pain on him with just the touch of a screen. If Homeworld could do that, what else could they do to him?

The door opened to his cell, but he didn't notice. His emotions overpowered all of his other senses as fear took over. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned suddenly with a fear of who it would be. To his relief, rather than finding a Quartz guard, ready to take him back to the room, he found the calm, collected eyes of Quartzite looking at him.

"D-Dipper?" She whispered, as if unsure how to react to the emotionally shaken boy before her. She held onto his shoulder as confusion and fear filled her eyes, differing from her calm look she had put on before. "W-what happened?"

Dipper didn't bother to answer as another sob wracked his body. Before he could try and explain to Quartzite, he found himself in her embrace. He was shocked for a moment at how sudden the gem had moved to catch him in her embrace but he then joined in as he rode out the tears, cries, and sobs. Quartzite held onto him through it all, patiently waiting until he wanted to speak with her.

"T-thank you." Dipper whispered as he finally found his voice again. With that, Quartzite pulled away and looked at him in the eyes. He wiped the leftover tears from his eyes before he looked up at the blue eyes of his companion.

"What have they done to you?" She whispered, guilt crossing her features. For a split second, however, anger flashed across her face with the words but were gone just as fast as the words had escaped her mouth. Just like the words, however, the anger in her gaze lingered and stuck in Dipper's mind as he spoke.

"After the hearing, they strapped me down and put a machine to my head." Dipper started but before he could continue, Quartzite's face hardened, as if knowing about the machine already. She turned away to avoid his gaze, as if not wanting him to see her concerned expression.

"What would they want with the suppresser?" She asked herself.

"Suppresser?" Dipper asked, his curiosity levels rising at hearing the name of the device.

"It was used a long time ago. It was used on gems to suppress emotions by showing the gem what they fear the most." She replied, stoically.

"Why would they do that?" He asked.

"Homeworld wanted a tough brigade of soldiers, both physically and emotionally. Therefore, they developed that technology to make the soldiers, 'tough' emotionally." She answered with a hint of pain. Immediately, Dipper understood what Quartzite meant. In a way, this new information provided new insight into his companion.

"And you went through that machine too." Dipper concluded, causing Quartzite to shutter a bit.

"I was one of the few that came out relatively unscathed. The suppresser was made to torture someone to the point of giving them a tolerance to emotional breakdowns." She turned to Dipper with a sad gaze. "I show my emotions willingly, but even then, I have never shown my emotions like you do. I was surprised when you lashed out at Montresor. I would've been angry too but I wouldn't have used my temper for anything, thanks to that machine."

"Why are they doing this to me?" Dipper said with pain in his voice.

"I don't know." Quartzite answered as her look turned to one of determination and anger. "But, I will find out, if it's the last thing I do."

They sat in silence for a while as Dipper tried to overcome the fear and stop the memories of the pain and dream from seeping into his thoughts. With a sigh, Quartzite handed him another apple that was red. Eagerly, he ate the apple to stop the gnawing hunger. Then, she gave him a bag of water again before she got off the ground and left, her walk full of purpose.

Dipper decided to save the water until he needed it most. With that, he laid on the ground once again, looking through the window at the star they both shared. He smiled a little, despite his situation. It may have been a terrible day two, but at least he still had some hope to spare. They had tried to break his spirits and he refused. As he started falling into a deep sleep that was desperately needed, he wondered it Pacifica was watching the same star at the same time.

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Pacifica wore Dipper's blue hat for days now, never once taking it off. Her parents urged her to put away the hat for fashion's sake but she refused. She disobeyed her parents and ever since the Northwest Incident, her parents acted like it was okay for her to ignore their fashion advice. She promised to hold onto the hat for as long as she had hope in his return. It wasn't even hope. It was a guarantee. A guarantee that he would come back.

No messages from the Crystal Gems, Steven, or Connie told her that they were still out and about, trying to capture the kidnappers. Maybe Dipper was back but he found something emotionally scarring and he needed a little time for himself. She didn't mind, as it wouldn't be the first time in their relationship that this happened. Until she was told otherwise, as far as she knew, everything was going according to plan.

That philosophy cheered her up as she walked through her peacock garden in the silent night with a soft smile on her face. She remembered how what seemed like yesterday, she and Dipper had ran through the garden in order to get away and capture an unhappy spirit. Pacifica was so distracted by the garden that she didn't notice Mondego approach her.

"Any news yet?" Mondego asked, causing Pacifica to turn and face him.

"No." She replied, her smile disappearing from her face. "Nothing from the Gems."

"Maybe they will be gone for a long time." Mondego suggested as Pacifica walked towards a bench in the gardens.

"I will hold on for as long as I can, Mondego. Even if he is gone for a year, I will wait in hope. I know that I won't wait that long, however, since Dipper is trying to come back." Pacifica countered. She had already heard Mondego's pleas for her to continue her life without thinking about Dipper or his safety. He just thought she wouldn't live her life to the fullest if she held onto her hope and Dipper never returned.

"That isn't an excuse for you to freeze and shun your responsibilities." Mondego said with a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Your birthday is coming up and you haven't planned anything about it. If you want a huge ball, you have to plan many weeks in advance."

"Now you're starting to sound like my parents." Pacifica replied with distrust in her tone.

Mondego sighed as his voice became more caring and kind. "I'm sorry, Pacifica. I just want you to live your life as normal. I care about you. I just don't want you to shrug off important responsibilities when Dipper is just fine."

Pacifica sighed too as she looked at Mondego with sad eyes. "I'm sorry. I just miss him." Was all she said.

"Hey. Cheer up." Mondego replied with a friendly smile. "If you plan the party now, you will be able to tell Dipper about it later and be able to invite him."

"Yeah. You're right." Pacifica smiled back as she stood up. "Come on, Mondego. You can help me plan the party."

As Mondego went into the house, Pacifica stayed out in the garden for while, looking up at the stars. She put out her finger as she pointed to the star next to the moon. Their star. She smiled more as she went into the house to plan her birthday party.

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Dipper sat beside Pacifica on the hill next to the barn. It was a starry night and they stared wistfully at the stars before them as they shined and flickered. Dipper turned to look at Pacifica and she turned to look at him. She closed her eyes and smiled happily. With that, Dipper did the same, before they both looked back up at the stars and the moon.

"Will you always be there for me?" Dipper asked as they continued to watch the skies.

"As long as our star still shines, I will be there." Pacifica answered with a loving smile and blush across her cheeks. They both leaned close to each other as Dipper placed his hand on top of hers. She didn't seem to mind. He looked up at the star next to the moon that they had called their own. It seemed as though the star would never die, and neither would their love.

Then, the star blinked out. Shocked, Dipper looked up at where their star had been with confusion. Well, that was unfortunate timing. Of course, their love would still last. That star was just a metaphor for how long their love would last. He turned to tell Pacifica that, who undoubtedly would've seen the star disappear from the sky.

As he did, however, he found that she was no longer beside him. "Pacifica?" He shouted as he stood up and looked around the hill. It was as if she had vanished. Disappeared like the star did. As he continued to search, the forest seemed to close around him, the clearing disappearing before his very eyes.

"Pacifica?!" He cried out in terror. Something about the forest wasn't right and that was more terrifying than the forest of Gravity Falls. He continued to call out her name. Unfortunately, as much as he hoped, he still felt the realization sink in. She had abandoned him in the moment he needed her. Pacifica, who had promised to be there for him, always, had vanished along with their star.

In despair, Dipper fell to his knees and hugged them close to him. He was terribly alone and he was scared. As the woods neared him, he heard the laugh of the ghostly lumberjack echo around him.

"You've been had, boy." The lumberjack ghost said, laughing. "Never trust a Northwest."

"Y-you're lying! Pacifica would never abandon me! S-she promised!" Dipper cried out into the darkness and the forest that continued to crowd him.

"A Northwest promised me a party for every townsfolk. That didn't happen." The lumberjack countered.

"Yeah? Well, a Northwest can change, and you know why? Because I don't just believe in any Northwest. I believe in Pacifica Northwest." Dipper felt courage run through him as he drew power from this knowledge. He stood up from where he was sitting. With a determined look, he stared down the woods as he held to his wits.

"She is different from the rest of her family! She even appeased your spirit!" He yelled out, taking pride in knowing that the forest was retreating a little with each word. "I know she wouldn't abandon me, not even if her life is at stake! And if she is not here with me, then this is just a dream!"

With that, the trees retreated from the hill, as if a force field had formed and was pushing the menacing trees back from his spot. As this happened, his vision grew dark as he felt the agony and torture that he had forgotten in the dreamlands. He sighed as he wondered if staying in the land of nightmares was better than the tortures of being brought back to reality. Maybe he could just stay there and talk to Steven. Still, he had no control of the break in the dream and he soon found himself in the chair, the burning pain of being torn apart returning to every fiber of his being.

He watched the Quartzite leader, gritting his teeth as he turned to look at her. She looked like she was thinking, her hand next to her chin as she studied Dipper methodically. Peridot turned to her with a questioning look, as if wondering whether to stop to torture. Usually, that was what would come next in Dipper's new daily routine but today, the Quartzite leader shook her head and instead pressed a button of her own. Peridot looked fearful but Dipper didn't care, as a completely new and foreign pain hit his body.

Dipper felt like his body was being molded, forcefully and painfully into something he wasn't. It was a strange and agonizing sensation. Rather than screaming or crying out, however, he decided to grit his teeth and ride it out. It was easier said than done but Dipper was not willing to let the Homeworld gems think he was going to be broken down easily. He closed his eyes to stop any tears from falling. When he felt the pain slip away, it was almost a welcome friend to face the nightmares.

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Dipper watched as the battle unfurled before him. He was nothing more an a ghost-like entity, unable to do anything to help his friends fight the unknown figure. Steven had his shield in hand and stood in the middle, ready to protect Mabel and Connie, should there come a time for that. Connie, to the right of him, held Rose's sword with confidence and eyed the figure before them, suspiciously. Mabel looked at the figure with determination in her expression, preparing her grappling hook for easy use. Around them were pillars, as if they were in the sky arena.

In front of them was the mysterious attacker. He wore a yellow mask that hid any of their features. The hood of his cloak covered most of their features, only showing his brown hair and ears. His outfit almost completely consisted of shades of yellow, with two diamonds on their torso marking out which side this attacker was on.

Dipper looked at his friends and the attacker. He feared for his friends' lives but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped in the mindscape. He wasn't able to help them and, in a way, this scared him even more. The figure put down his right right arm in a swift motion, immediately making an electronic sword appear, revealing it to be a retractable sword.

With their sword at hand, he ran swiftly towards Dipper's friends. About halfway before he would reach the three competitors, he jumped high into the air. He turned around 360 degrees around as he fell, aiming the tip of his sword at Steven. Quickly, Steven put his shield up into the air, making the sword hit the shield. The sword stuck in the shield temporarily, the figure standing on the tilted shield. Steven, before his competitor could react, made a bubble around his friends, causing the figure to be thrown into the air, head first. As the figure tumbled to the floor and somersaulted a few times, he stuck his blade into the ground, causing him to slide to a halt in a crouched position.

Dipper watched in awe at the mysterious attacker's moves. Who was this guy? Why was he fighting his friends? In the end, he couldn't ask these questions, for his voice would be unheard. He watched in silence as the battle continued.

Unbeknownst to the attacker, while he had tumbled away from the trio, Steven and Connie had fused. Stevonnie used their floating powers to get onto a pillar to the left of the figure and then pushed off the side of the pillar towards the attacker once he came to a halt. The attacker stood up to his full height and, with his fast reflexes, turned towards Stevonnie and blocked the attack, putting his sword above theirs and pushing the point of the sword towards the ground. Stevonnie's sword stuck in the ground, causing them to be vaulted over the figure. With an alarmed cry, they fell to the ground and unfused.

The attacker turned and walked slowly towards the tired and unprepared duo, sword still in hand. Unfortunately, he forgot about one opponent. As he was about to strike Steven, the end of a grappling hook grabbed onto his sword firmly, pulling him away from Steven and Connie. Dipper smiled at his brave sister as she held her ground, pulling the attacker farther away.

"Oh. Sorry!" Mabel said, sarcastically with a cocky smile. "You didn't need that, did you?!"

The attacker seemed to be at a loss as to what to do. That is, until he turned towards Mabel. Mabel seemed to figure that the attacker had gotten an idea. Her smile disappeared and her body tensed up. Slowly but surely, he wrapped the wire of the grappling hook around the sword. Mabel tried to resist the attacker's pulls but she was fighting an uphill battle. The grappling hook was too firmly connected to the sword. Before Mabel could release her hand from the grappling hook, the figure pulled the sword towards him in a fast motion. Mabel, loosing her balance, cried out as she fell towards the figure. She was too close to him. This wasn't going to end well. Dipper tried to turn away but he was frozen in shock as the tip of the attacker's sword was aimed right at her.

Tears burned in Dipper's eyes as sorrow overcame his entire being. It was hard to watch, and yet he couldn't turn away from the shock. The only thing he could say was that the sword hit home. The sword had impaled her and she stood there, face-to-face with her killer. Her breathing was ragged as Mabel tried to speak to her friends behind the attacker. Steven and Connie watched in just as much shock as the figure pulled out his sword and Mabel fell limp on the ground.

Dipper felt bitter tears run down his cheeks as he cried out. It was a cry of loss and pain. He had never thought about his sister dying and yet there she was, her life gone within a second. Dipper's memories of her flashed through his eyes. He could see the entire scene disappear and his entire surroundings darken but it didn't matter. His sister was gone and he was powerless to stop it.

Worst of all, the only thing he could do was watch.

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When Dipper awoke, all he could do was sob. When the pain abated and the Quartz guards ordered for him to come with them, he wouldn't listen. Eventually, they had to carry him to his cell. When they put him not-so-softly in his cell, he felt empty and tired. Despite the realization that none of that was real, he felt the sorrow and pain of it all too clearly. What the machine had shown him was cruel. When his sobs died down a bit, he fell into a deep sleep. A sleep brought on by the emotional torture he had suffered.

When he awoke, he found that Quartzite wasn't there but, judging by the new footprints in his dusty cell, had come rather recently and left beside him his food and water. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Even with the amount of sleep he got, he still felt emotionally drained. This time, he felt worse than usual. For the past few days, the torture had been tiring but this time, it was heartbreaking too.

Five days in Homeworld and he was feeling about the way he was supposed to feel. Miserable. A day of trial made him feel betrayed. Three days of torturing him with doubts about his friends. A day of watching his sister die. He felt like he was dying, little by little, and each day was more painful than the rest. It didn't matter if he stayed her for a day, a week, or even a year. They all felt the same. Five days felt like a week and he could only imagine what a week felt like. With his hope splintering, he stood up and looked down at his feet in misery.

 _"Another day,"_ He started to sing as he paced around his cell. _"Another week, another month, another year. Another day, another night, until it's day again."_

He paused in his pacing as he stopped and sat down next to the tally marks that counted down the amount of days he had been there. Only five marks were there. _"The sun has fled, I go to bed, and scratch a line on the wall."_ As he sang that, he pulled out the rock Quartzite gave him and scratched the fifth tally mark in the wall. Then, he put it back in his vest pocket.

 _"Another day, where nothing changes at all."_ From his sitting position, he went onto his back as he put his hand to the sky. _"And everyday shuffles by like the day before."_

He sat back up as he looked up at the clear dark sky on Homeworld. No stars shown on this night, for clouds in the atmosphere blocked the stars from his view. _"On its way to the blackest of skies."_

He sat down as he looked down at his lap as tears formed in his eyes. _"And everyday, a little death comes and paces the floor,"_ Dipper watched as his tears fell onto the hard floor before him. _"And a little bit more of me dies."_

 _"Another day, another week, another month, another year!"_ He cried out as he looked around at his dark surroundings. _"Another night I spend alone, until it's day again."_

For the last time, Dipper looked out the window for a chance to see their star, but to no avail. _"Our little star has moved away and all the world is a blur."_ He turned away from the window as he huddled into the farthest corner from the door.

 _"I only see,"_ Dipper sang as before he pointed to his chest. _"I am not me, without them."_ He immediately remembered all of his friends and family. Mabel, Pacifica, Steven, Lapis, and many more were in the mix and he wished all of them were with him.

 _"Everyday a little death, for everyday, I die."_ Dipper sang, almost chanting it with his eyes closed. _"Everyday a little death and still,"_

 _"I know not why."_

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In a world away, Pacifica ran through the forest with Mondego in tow. She promised to show him the clearing where she and Dipper had always met at. As she reached the clearing, she turned to look at Mondego with a hopeful smile.

 _"He will come back."_ She sang as Mondego caught up to her.

 _"Perhaps, but still..."_ Mondego said, hesitantly as she looked at the hill where she had been with Dipper, only days ago.

 _"He will return to me."_ She replied as she walked a little ways towards the hill, flowers underneath her feet. _"Another prayer."_

 _"You've got to live for today."_ Mondego argued as she stopped and picked a blue flower from the small patch of flowers beneath her.

 _"I will live when we're together again!"_ She replied as she took the flower in her hand and smelled it. _"Everyday, I will pray until then!"_

 _"Amen."_ She sang as she placed the flower in her hair, underneath Dipper's hat.

Then, she ran towards the hill, not even noticing that Mondego was annoyed by her hope. His plan wasn't working so far. She wasn't falling for him, even with her lover gone. As she dashed towards the top of the hill, he stayed behind as he tried to think of another plan.

 _"And everyday, another prayer, brings him close to me. And every night, the little star we both share!"_ She sang, naively, not even noticing that a smirk crossed Mondego's face as he came up the hill to join her. _"Then one day, when I open my eyes, he will be standing right over there, one day!"_

She looked beside her with hope in her gaze. Unfortunately, from far away, Dipper sang, _"Another day."_

Once Mondego joined her on the hill, he put on a sad face and stood beside her where she was looking. She looked at him with confusion as he sang, _"There's something I must say. I wanted to protect you."_

 _"Another year."_ Dipper's voice sounded from Homeworld.

Pacifica looked at Mondego with concern as he continued. _"I wish there was a way I could make it untrue!"_

 _"Another day."_ Dipper chimed it.

 _"I heard the news today. I fear the worst has happened!"_ Pacifica looked at Mondego with dread as to what the news was. What was she going to hear? Did she even want to hear it?

 _"Another year."_

 _"He will not return. Dipper Pines is now dead!"_ Mondego announced with fake sadness on his face. Tears filled Pacifica's vision as she put her hands to her face to mask her sadness.

 _"Another year."_

 _"Dead and gone!"_ Mondego yelled out as he hugged Pacifica to try and comfort her. The plan was going just perfectly as he continued his singing. He and Pacifica looked up to the sky as he sang. _"Rest in peace. May flights of angels sing him to his rest."_

Pacifica pulled away as she wiped her eyes with her hands and took off Dipper's hat in respect. She held it in her hands as Mondego held her arms in his hands as he spoke. _"Let me hold and help to heal you."_

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Dipper started as Mondego started down the hill, Pacifica standing there in grief as tears fell from her eyes.

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Pacifica echoed as she walked slowly down the hill too.

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Dipper answered as the person he shared a star walked down the hill, hope gone from her eyes.

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Mondego echoed, as if it were more of a proverb than an actual feeling he felt.

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Pacifica's voice echoed in Dipper's cell as he sat in silent tears.

 _"Everyday a little death."_ Dipper responded again, before finally, Dipper, Pacifica, and Mondego sang the last line all together.

 _"Everyday a little death."_

 **A/N Sooooo... Did I do a good job? I have dealt with so much angst at this point that I have worked up a sort of angst immunity. It's not that I'm dead inside, it's just that I don't cry as easily. Usually, I have respect for stuff that makes me cry. Universe Falls is one of that fanfics that did make me cry as well as Handplates, Nightmaretale, and a song about Connie dying and Steven living on. I mean, I guess that's not too bad. That means I can have more angst than most people and not cry as much, I guess. Anyways, to explain the third tortured mindscape with the fight scene... I might be the only one that has this happen but you know how when you have a dream and it predicts an event that will happen in the future, except in real life, when you come across that decision, you can change it? Either way, dreams are weird. Anyways, I'm going to take a break from writing this story for a while (one of my followers from another story really wants me to continue that story and I am running out of excuses).**


	4. Blood and Shards

**A/N Hey guys. Sorry that it's been a while. Some of my other stories were getting intense there, but now, I'm back and ready to continue! Angst city, over here. Also, if you know the Count of Monte Cristo... well, all I can say is that Quartzite is like the old man that helped Edmund. You will know soon enough. Also, just for clarification, Minijen said herself that Lapis wouldn't leave until Dipper came back to Earth and was back to normal (or at least that's what I think she said), so don't yell at me that Lapis would be gone by now.**

Pacifica's immediate reaction to the news Mondego had told her on the hill was to text Mabel. Type an accusation. According to what she heard from Mondego, Mabel and Steven had returned days ago. Neither one of them bothered to tell her the news about Dipper's death. With tears in her eyes, she typed in the first thing that buzzed inside her mind the next day.

 _What happened to Dipper?_ She already knew the answer, but she wanted to know how. What happened? What happened that made a gem kidnapper kill Dipper? She waited impatiently for the reply on her bed. She looked tearfully at the hat. One of the only things she could remember him by. Their star was now just light from a dying star, that might not exist anymore. It reminded her of the hope she had when no one told her the news. She continued shining and hoping, even though Dipper was already dead. The news caught up to her, though, and her hope died. Just like a star.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Emotionally weary but willing to hear the story, she picked it up and read it. _I'm so sorry, Pacifica. Steven, Dipper, Lars, and I were taken to Homeworld. He was the only one who didn't come back with us._ Mabel's response shocked her. Taken to Homeworld? As in the Gem Homeworld, where the Diamonds were and all gems that hated the Crystal Gems lived? He would not survive a day there, even with his training. As she struggled to find a way to respond to Mabel's text, she felt anger. She wanted to direct this anger at Mabel or Steven or someone else but she only found one person to blame.

Herself. She blamed herself. If Pacifica had went for help sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened. The two kidnapper gems would've been caught sooner, and Dipper would be home, safe and sound. She and Dipper would be together on the hill, spending time together as they had promised. Now he was dead and gone. Nowhere to be found.

The entire event seemed like a dream, however. Just a nightmare Pacifica had and would end at any moment. It never did, though. So far, it had been twenty-four hours and she hadn't woken up. With tears filling her eyes as she looked down at his hat, she held the hat closer to her heart as she sobbed. As she cried, she placed the hat carefully on her dresser. A token from the dead. A reminder of love she'd once known.

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"Quartzite 2-B, Yellow Diamond requests a status report on the project." A quartzite in a orangish shade reported to the Quartzite leader as they both walked down the halls of the base.

"Everything is on schedule. I have managed to find a breakthrough, despite Peridot arguing against the use of such chemicals." The Quartzite leader answered with an eye roll. Peridots. They never take any chances. "The modifications will happen in 24 hours and then we will officially start the reprogramming."

"That is the problem, Quartzite 2-B." The orange Quartzite stammered, sweat beading on her forehead. "You see... Yellow Diamond... she wants an example of the potential of our methods. She wants a show of power, 24 hours after the modifications."

"Tell her that it will take time to do that. As of right now, the suppresser only knows so much about the boy. We can't show the potential of the method with only 168 hours of what I could barely call reprogramming." The leader replied, clearly agitated but still collected and calm.

"I tried to tell her as much." The Quartzite said, still worried. "She said that it was our problem and that we are to figure out the solution."

"Unfortunately, the song will have no effect on him, as of right now. Looks like we're just going to have to improvise." The leader thought to herself as she finally reached the room where the data the machine had found about the human was kept, as well as the project's files and plans. Everything for a Lead Quartzite.

"How will we improvise?" The gem asked as she followed her leader to the panels of screens, buttons, and levers.

"The Peridots in the labs have been giving me chemicals to try on the boy. All of them have been ineffective against him. He has proven to be resilient to the machine's effects in general. That is, except for one chemical in particular. This one managed to stop him from breaking out of his dream state early." The Quartzite leader smiled a bit as she pulled up data on the tests. "Another plus is that the chemical made him black out, causing him to think he had drifted into sleep when in actuality, he had been awake, silent and blank, for the entire time he had been dreaming."

"What does that have to do with this?" The other Quartzite asked, concerned.

"What it means is that in a larger dose, we might have something to show her temporarily." The Quartzite leader pulled out from a container a needle full of a transparent substance. "To think that my Diamond is making so many Peridots invent so much technology just for an organic being. What is the rush about?"

"It's Montresor. He reports to Yellow Diamond daily now. In his last transmission, he said Rose is back on Earth, along with the human, Mabel." The Quartzite answered as the leader checked the substance and put it in the drawer where it came from.

"Tell her that she will have her show. It may not be permanent as of right now, but it will be in the final product." The Quartzite leader ordered the other Quartzite.

"Yes, commander." The orange Quartzite saluted the leader, who saluted back as the Quartzite left to report to Yellow Diamond.

Unbeknownst to either one was that a blue version of their kind had overheard the entire thing. She put her hand over her mouth in horror before she remembered her mission. She was going to figure out what they were doing to him. What were these modifications they were talking about? What were they doing to Dipper with the machine? When she had been subjected to the torture of the mind, there wasn't any chemicals, since they didn't work on a gem's body. What was the machine redesigned to do if it wasn't just for mental and emotional resilience?

As Quartzite went off down the hall to tell Dipper, a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Ah! Princess, I was just about to call for you." It was the Quartzite leader. She turned to see the white and gray gem looking at her with concentration. Quartzite 2-B. The Quartzite that "graduated" the mind device with flying colors. The few emotions the leader had left were merely shadowy reflections of what they could be. She didn't know anger, sorrow, or guilt. Those emotions were merely replaced with the feeling of inconvenience. It was like staring at a shark. Emotionless and always hungry for action.

"Y-you know, I don't like being called that, c-commander." Quartzite stuttered as she came towards the leader, worried as to what would happen.

"Ah, but the name stuck, didn't it?" The leader replied, condescendingly. "Alas, I didn't want you here to call you names. I want to know the human's condition."

"W-why do you want to know?" Quartzite asked, wanting to get as much information from the leader as the leader wanted from her.

"You're the organic being expert. I need to know if the subject has problems with his state." The Quartzite leader said, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"And that depends on what you are planning to do with him." Quartzite countered, surprising the leader with her sudden assertiveness.

"Well, if information is what you want, then that is what you are going to get." The leader replied, her voice sounded impressed at Quartzite's courage and yet inside, Quartzite felt like she was going into the belly of the beast. "You see, we have modifications planned for the boy in 36 hours. I need to know your opinion in the matter."

"You shouldn't do it!" Quartzite cried out without meaning to. She covered her mouth as the leader looked at her in confusion and interest. Then, she put her hands down. "I-I'm sorry, commander. That was uncalled for. I-I was just worried about how doing it in 36 hours would negate all progress we have made in our project."

"How so?" The leader said in curiosity, her eyebrow arced in an intrigued manner.

"W-well, you see, uh... commander, the human is weak and frail at the moment. The organism has a tiny microbe infestation in their vulnerable body. This causes them to have many things go wrong with them, including fevers and uh... coughing." Quartzite replied, sweat beading on her forehead as she tried to hide the lie.

"How can we get rid of this tiny microbe infestation?"

"You can't... well, at least not very easily." Quartzite answered as she tried to calm herself down.

"What about those anti-microbe sprays at the human zoo?"

"Well, you see, commander, those don't work immediately. The human body is fragile compared to our physical forms. Plus, we don't have any of those sprays here, because of the shut down."

"What is the cure?"

"The best cure is time." Quartzite said with confidence. This one was easy to lie about, because it was true. "It might take a while, but you won't regret it. If you start modifying the boy now, he might die because of the sickness."

"Unfortunately, we don't have time." The leader responded, coldly. She looked at Quartzite with probing eyes, searching for a sign of insincerity. Then, she sighed. "I'll take your word for it. I guess I'll have to explain it to Yellow Diamond."

"You won't regret it, commander." Quartzite reassured the leader quietly as she felt relief flood over her. She had managed to give Dipper some time. She had managed to stall for her contact to get through the lines in some earthly weeks.

"Thank you for your report, Princess." The leader jabbed the insult at her but Quartzite didn't flinch. She saluted the leader and then went down the hallway towards Dipper's cell. She smiled softly to herself. She had managed to collect some information. She had promised to find out something and she did. She may have helped, too. Maybe she even stopped the worst of the torture...

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Dipper laid on the floor in deathly silence. He felt dead, too. He just felt cold and emotionless. The agony he suffered everyday changed and with it, he felt his hopes die. Indeed, everyday did bring a new bout of death. It was hard to process the feeling or describe it in his head, but he knew that this feeling was all too real. Dying a little on the inside was not something he could make up. Eventually, laying on the cold floor and looking up at the desolate ceiling became his favorite pastime. Sometimes, he heard the laughter of his past memories drift into reality. Memories that seemed like distant daydreams, rather than true events that happened in the past. In his mind, he played a game where he named everyone he missed on Earth. Mabel, Steven, Connie, Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot, Lapis, Pacifica, and those were just the few off the top of his emotionally devastated mind. He even missed the pets that his friends had. He wished that someone would come and talk to him. Maybe then his emotions and hope would return.

As if a deity in the sky had heard him and answered his wish, the door to his cell opened and closed as a familiar gem came in. As she neared Dipper, Quartzite's expression changed to one of confusion.

"Dipper, why are you spread out across the floor? It's got to be cold for a sick human." She said, looking down at Dipper, who immediately sat up.

"...What do you mean, 'sick'?" Dipper asked, looking at the gem with a questioning look.

"I tried to find out information about what they were doing to you and even though I don't have much to go on, I have found out some news that will make you happy." The light blue gem smiled slyly as she handed Dipper his daily ration of food.

"And what is that?" Dipper replied before taking a bite out of the apple, looking at the gem with a glum and downcast expression.

"Rose Quartz and one of her human companions has returned to Earth." Quartzite announced with a joyful expression on her face. Dipper merely looked at her in surprise. How was that possible?! How did Steven return to Earth? Then, a question entered his mind that he dreaded to ask but was willing to risk it.

"Which human made it back?" He asked in a soft, awestruck voice. Quartzite's smile faltered a little as she tried to recall. What was the name? She heard it and she tried to remember it but in all of the sudden events and information she had received, the name had faded from her memory.

"I think it was..." Quartzite trailed off as she started rubbing one side of her forehead, as if it would help her remember. Finally, after a few tense moments of thinking, something clicked in her mind as she spoke excitedly. "Your sister! It was your sister!" She smiled. The thought crossed her mind when the guard said the name to the leader. She didn't remember the name of Dipper's sister until the guard reported the name. It immediately clicked that his sister had returned to Earth. Though she forgot the name afterwards, she didn't forget that connection she made.

"Mabel?! She made it back?!" Dipper exclaimed happily. For the first time in the last few days, he felt alive at the news. His sacrifice was not for nothing. Steven and Mabel were back in the normal world.

"Yeah!" Quartzite answered back, her smile bright and hopeful as she looked at Dipper.

Dipper grinned back. There was no way he could not be happy at the news. Despite the painful visions and dreams he had suffered those past few days and the ones that were sure to come, he found that he still had hope. Hopes and dreams that made him laugh with glee. Quartzite watched with admiration at the happy boy beside her until she looked down in front of her and frowned, the light in her eyes fading. His smile faded as he looked at Quartzite with worry.

"What's wrong?" He asked, quietly.

"I-I..." She stopped as anger filled her features. The emotion twisted her face, turning her kind and familiar face into one of raging anger. It was as if she were imbued with the essence of a warrior. She closed her eyes and put her hands to the side of her head. "I'm such an idiot!" She cried out as she put her hands in front of her, as if they were grasping something. "I heard that from the guards! That means Homeworld knows where they are!"

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, her anger and frustration left her features to be replaced with the friendly, calm companion Dipper was familiar with. It was as if Quartzite was never angry. Dipper watched her silently as a wave of lethargy seemed to rush over her. He had never seen her like that before. She seemed so emotional right then, rather than her usual calm demeanor that had now returned.

"Ugh. I always was an idiot, clod, or whatever else they called me." She looked down at herself, not in pity or sadness, but just with a look of being physically and emotionally drained. It was silent for a bit before Dipper decided to speak.

"You're not an idiot. You figured out what happened to my sister. That means a lot to me. Plus, you would know if they were trying to do something about their return, right?" Dipper tried to comfort her, a look of reassurance on his face.

"Yeah." She responded, quietly. "Dipper, I want to tell you something. They were going to do something terrible to you."

"W-what are they going to do to me?" Dipper said with a worried and confused face, the very thought of what torture they were planning chilling him to the bone.

"I-I don't know for sure, but you shouldn't worry." She replied, her voice filling with courage. "I managed to stall it from happening until the contact comes."

"How?" Dipper asked.

"I told them that you were sick, and that anything they do could cause you to die. I also said that it would take weeks for you to recover. Good thing you were sick, Dipper Pines." She said with a weary smile and a wink. In response, Dipper pretended to cough. In human terms, it wasn't a convincing cough in the slightest but Quartzite nodded in approval. It wasn't like a gem would know if a human was really sick or not.

...Right?

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"I said, NO!" Pacifica's voice rang throughout the manor house. Her parents stood in front of her, not even flinching from their daughter's clear anger. They stood at the foot of the stairs in the ballroom, stopping Pacifica from retreating to her room in sorrow.

"Pacifica, it's your birthday, and as a lady and heir of the Northwest family, it is tradition-" her mother started.

"I don't care about tradition!" Pacifica snapped at her mother.

"Now Pacifica, listen to your mother." Her father said in his cold voice, warning her not to push him to a certain point. She completely disregarded that warning as tears of hatred and anguish started to fall from her eyes.

"No! You listen to me!" She shouted in retort as she stared at her parents right in the eyes. "I don't care what Northwest tradition says. If I were to follow our traditions by the book, I would be a dirty traitor and a liar to everybody! I don't want a stupid party and I don't want to play by your stupid game anymore!"

"Pacifica, it is time to grow up!" Her father replied, sternly. "Your common boy is gone and it is time for you to face the truth. If you had humored a less reckless boy with actual fashion standards with all this 'love' nonsense, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"I will never forget Dipper! He will live on in my heart and as long as I live, I will never love someone like I loved him!" Pacifica cried out, her heart aching from the amount of truth that statement held. A part of her died that day and she still was dying. Everyday, she fell into despair and she felt her happiness disappear like the dying stars in the sky. Soon, she would be empty. Empty and dead.

"You will learn that you have to live your life. You will love someone else and forget about this entire thing." Her mother said, calmly and condescendingly.

"Augh!" She yelled in frustration. She needed to get out of her parent's reach. They were nothing short of diabolical. What parent would plan a ball weeks after their child's friend was killed? Apparently only a Northwest parent would. "I HATE YOU!" Her scowl and words finally made her parents show something other than coldness in their gaze. Instead of emotionless stares, her father seemed to glare at her, while her mother had regret painted on her face. Still, there was no reconciling this.

She pushed past her parents forcefully and walked up the staircase. Her father called out her name but she couldn't hear it. She didn't want to hear it. Her scowl turned into a heartbroken frown as she felt tears come down like raindrops during a downpour. Once she reached her room, she locked it and huddled in a corner, sobbing. Amidst the sorrow, she felt anger. It was a boiling rage that was beginning to bubble over along with the other emotions she had at the time. With all that anger, she screamed. The scream was not from terror or pain, as most screams are. It was more of a battle cry. A battle cry that announced that Pacifica was not having anything to do with this nonsense and didn't want to see or talk to her parents for the rest of her life.

When it was all said and done, her anger had left her, making her tired body weak and frail. The anger that had kept her going was gone and was replaced with a deep sadness. She sobbed to herself as she mourned for the things she once had, days ago. She once had a boyfriend. Dipper, a boy who was smart and cute and was now gone forever. She once had freedom. Her parents wouldn't control her or force her to do things. Now, freedom felt like a dream. An illusion. She never had freedom to begin with.

Now, not only was she controlled by her parents, but she was a prisoner of her ever-growing depression. Even now, she knew that the wound in her heart would grow and fester. It would cause her to feel nothing but emptiness. She would be a shadow of what she had once been until, eventually, the wound that had grown in severity would consume her.

And that was a fate worse than death.

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Mabel felt completely helpless. Upon returning to Earth, thanks to Lars' head, the two survivors from the event had to tell everyone the bad news. Everyone took the news horribly. There was tears and anger and denial everywhere. It seemed as though everyone had different ways of dealing with the fact Dipper was missing, but everyone expressed these emotions the same way: with action. Through the tears, recklessness, and denial, they had come up with many plans until one seemed like an actual possibility. Then, they got right to work.

As for the two survivors, there was so much guilt that both of them were wallowing in it. Each time a person teared up, cursed in frustration, or forgot Dipper wasn't gone, Mabel and Steven felt directly responsible. They were told many times that it wasn't their fault, but it seemed to have the reverse effect. They would blame themselves more.

Mabel was suffering from the guilt now, more than ever, as she walked towards the barn that Lapis and Peridot shared custody of. The sounds of machinery and construction sounded throughout the barn. There, they were making the basis of the plan everyone decided to follow.

"Lapis, I need you to hold this part for me while I weld them together." Peridot's voice sounded from the barn.

"Pearl, we need the parts for a hyperdrive. Do you have some from that hand spaceship?" Ford asked amidst the ruckus.

"I'll look in Amethyst's room. Peridot, have you installed the laser canon yet?" Pearl said as Mabel entered the barn. The scene was quite chaotic. The barn had been changed from its oddly decorated state into a makeshift construction area. What they were working on was hanging partially to the rafters by strong chains, since it only had two back wheels and not three. Peridot was welding together a wing to the body of the project, Lapis holding up the wing while flying. Great-Uncle Ford was looking over the blueprints of a hyperdrive, completely absorbed in trying to figure out its main components. Pearl was beside him, looking at Peridot with pure focus and determination.

Peridot stopped welding the two pieces for a moment as she pulled up her welding mask to look at the white gem. "Relax, Pearl. I have installed the laser canon." Peridot responded with confidence before she added with sarcasm dripping from her voice, "if you can really call that rudimentary piece of junk as such."

"I heard that!" Ford yelled out, glaring at the green gem who merely met his gaze with an eye roll before returning to her work.

Pearl turned around to head to the gem temple when she saw Mabel. "Well hello, Mabel." Pearl greeted, not smiling or frowning at her. She came towards Mabel and stood in front of her.

"Hi, Pearl." Mabel said with a sigh. She looked down at her feet before she looked at the project. "How's the ship coming?"

"Well, it is certainly coming together." Pearl responded with a small, awkward laugh, one of which no one joined her in.

If it were anyone's choice, they wouldn't have chosen the plan they were executing right then. To make a spaceship large enough to hold about a dozen people, fly the thing all the way to Homeworld's turf with a working hyperdrive and without being blown up, fight their way through millions, maybe billions, of guards, and then come out of Homeworld with all of them alive and accounted for with Dipper was the definition of a suicide mission. If fate had looked upon them kindly, they would've chosen a different plan, but that was not the case. Without the Ruby ship, they wouldn't be able to blend in with the many starships that came in and out of a planet or station. Without the technological advances Homeworld, a working hyperdrive would be considered a blessing if it could even bring them close to their destination fast and without turning them into pancakes or blowing them up.

Despite the arguments made, it was decided that this was the least suicidal plan out of the hundreds that had been thrown out for consideration. It wasn't a good plan, but they had no choice. Using Lion and Lars was considered for a while, until it was brought up that Lars was a moving target and was moving away from Homeworld, not towards. Without a warning, the rescue party might risk Lars and the Off Colors' safety if they were in hiding at the time. Once again, building a spaceship sounded like the best course of action.

"Coming together? Ha! What we're doing is like making a barn just out of tiny pieces of tall organic plant lifeforms, or sticks as you call them, and sticky adhesive." Peridot said. "Sure, it would work out, eventually, but there is no telling how long it would take."

"Well then stop talking to us and get to work!" Lapis countered in frustration. Peridot didn't seem threatened, as she nodded in agreement, pretended to zip her lips shut, something the Twins had shown her, and got back to welding. The worry was plain on Lapis' face. She missed Dipper and was going to get him back. For the first time in a while, it seemed that everyone was working together toward a common goal and that kept them focused on the mission, rather than fighting.

"Right." Pearl replied to Lapis' comment, turning to go to the temple. "See you later, Mabel."

Mabel looked throughout the barn. This was her fault. She should've saved Dipper. She could've tried harder to persuade him to come with them. It would've been simple. Maybe she could've even forced him to jump in. She sighed as she counted the many things that had changed in the last couple of days. Steven and Connie barely spoke anymore. That was part of the reason why Steven wasn't here, trying to help the team. He had his own inner demons to face, some of which had to do with Dipper, with Lars, and with Connie. Meanwhile, Mabel felt like she couldn't do anything. One part of the team was training to fight the gems, once they were encountered, while this side of the team was making the actual ship. She was on neither side. This made her feel worthless, something she wasn't used to feeling. It made her desperate to help. This was her brother after all. She had to fight for his sake. She had to help for his sake.

With confidence, focus, and determination filling her, she went up to Ford and, with a stern and unrelenting voice, she said, "Let's get my brother back."

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"Do you think they will like me?" Quartzite asked, breaking the silence that had been around ever since she came in to check on him that day.

"What? The gems?" Dipper responded as he was brought out of his thoughts by the question. She nodded in confirmation. "I'm sure that they would like you. They have been rebelling against Homeworld for years. The fact that you knew a Crystal Gem means that they could've known her."

Quartzite gave a small, unsure smile. "Yeah. I guess. But, would you like me there?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Dipper said with confidence. "You have been a big help, Quartzite. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I just don't know if I'd feel at home there. I've been away for thousands of years." She looked away in shame and embarrassment.

"Look, there's other new gems on Earth. There's Lapis and Peridot. They own a barn. Maybe you could be their roommate." He smiled a little as she turned to look at him. "Mabel would love to meet you, I'm sure, as would Steven. You'd be a part of the family."

"With sisters?"

"Well, the Crystal Gems could be whoever you want them to be. They can be your mom, aunt, sister, or friend. I'm sure Mabel would love to call you a sister, though." Dipper replied with a smirk.

"Can you tell me about your friends?" Quartzite said with a smile.

Dipper turned to her. "Sure. Well, there's my twin sister, Mabel. You've heard a lot about her. Then, there's Steven. You know him as Rose Quartz."

"How is a human Rose Quartz?" She asked in confusion.

Dipper shrugged. "It's a long story. I'm sure I could tell you once we're out of here. Then, there's Connie. We sword fight together for practice. There's the Crystal Gems. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. I'm sure you'll see a lot of them. Then, there's Peridot and Lapis."

"Wow. You sure have a lot of different types of gems." Quartzite mused.

"Well, anyone can become a Crystal Gem. Even humans could work with them." Dipper thought for a moment before he continued on with his list of friends and loved ones. "Oh. There's also Pacifica. I hang out with her a lot. She's a..." He paused. How could he explain what Pacifica was to him to Quartzite? She didn't seem to love anyone romantically. In fact, she seemed to be disgusted with every Quartzite she was around. How could he explain romantic love when it was so different from the platonic love and sibling love she had experienced in her life?

Meanwhile, she seemed to notice his hesitance and started guessing and helping him riddle out the word. "Sibling?"

"What? No." Dipper immediately replied in disgust. "That would be gross. No. She's like a..."

"Friend?"

"Uhhh... different from that..." Dipper sighed. "I guess I'll just have to show you on Earth."

Quartzite looked down at her feet in embarrassment at her misunderstanding. "Ok." Then, she stood up with purpose. "Well, I have to be off, otherwise they would suspect something."

"Okay. Thanks again." Dipper waved at Quartzite as she left the cell.

Once again, silence went throughout the room with no end in sight. His hope he had gained from Quartzite dissipated, as it always did. Soon, the Quartzes would come and take him to another session of the terrible mind games. What would it be this time? He had seen so many that they formed a pattern as to what they were trying to break. He wasn't stupid. He knew each of his loved ones played a role in his torture. Whenever Mabel was mentioned in this dreamlike state, that meant it was playing off his guilt, whether it be the end of the world because of him or his sister dying and he was powerless to stop it. Likewise, Pacifica played on abandonment. His loved ones abandoning him at a time he needed them most. As of late, his torturous dreams had been about Lapis.

One such nightmare was where he was once again possessed by Bill. He watched in horror as Bill took over his life. The worst part of the whole thing was that Bill was just acting like himself. There was no acting or Emmy awards to deal out. Some of his friends were literally threatened by flames from the sky and they didn't see that as odd. In fact, they treated it as if it were a normal Dipper thing to do. Everyone fell for it. Everyone, that is, except for Lapis. She came to his rescue. To save him from this fate that he was trapped in. Unfortunately, when she came to intervene, Bill was ready.

A battle took place that could hardly be described. Fire came down. Water was everywhere. Chaotic horrors went rampant throughout Gravity Falls. Dipper half expected his friends to notice the odd things happening, but they just weren't there. No matter what, they wouldn't come. As they both fought, Lapis began losing the battle. She grew more tired and hurt as she continued the fight. The problem was that if she hurt Bipper, she hurt Dipper. In the end, it became painfully clear that Bill won, as he picked up her gem and put it in a special bubble, where she was trapped, unable to help.

It was clear what Lapis meant at that moment. The machine wanted him to feel trapped. Imprisoned. Trapped, abandoned, and guilt-ridden were all things the tech had chosen to torture him with. Unfortunately, they were all things he felt while he was inside of a prison on Homeworld while his friends were on Earth and all of it was his fault.

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Quartzite walked cautiously through the empty halls. It was strange and she couldn't help but eye it suspiciously. What was the likelihood of there being no one in a hall when thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of gems were working here in the service of their diamond? It was quite odd. Still, she walked with certainty until she passed the room where the Lead Quartzite kept the files for the project. Peering into the room, she was surprised to find no one was there.

Strange. Every time she had tried sneaking into the room, she had found it guarded by at least a Quartz solider, maybe even a Quartzite. She searched for any signs of inhabitants in the room, but found none. She walked in quietly and swiftly sat herself in the chair in front of the giant screen. Now was as good of a time as ever to get the information she needed. She glanced around the room once more, hesitant to continue if there were, indeed, gems in this room, hidden from her sight.

She glanced at the panel in front of her. She knew what to do. She let in a breath pensively. "Well, here goes nothing." With that, she put her hands through the panel and was immediately in the database. So much information went through her head and then disappeared, as if it were never there. It was like a current of information, where data was given fast but nothing processed in her mind. She had to slow down the current to finally grasp the information she needed.

Of course, this was easier said than done. She was made to be a soldier, not a Peridot. With sheer will and frustration, however, she managed to somehow find a way to slow the information to a crawl. Thanks to this, she was able to go through the database effectively and find files that were inside of the device.

Unfortunately, important Diamond files were under codenames that hid information that only those gifted with the knowledge of which codename went to which could find. With no knowledge of the project's file codename, Quartzite cursed herself before she started her mission to find the one file amidst dozens of others.

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The door opened for Quartz soldiers, as it did everyday. Another nightmare session. Dipper stood up and looked down at his feet in hopelessness. He hated seeing everyone he loved in pain in his mind. It almost felt too real. Unfortunately, he found that resisting the Quartz soldiers merely caused him to be more bruised than usual. It was because of this that he posed no resistance once the Quartz soldiers grabbed him by the arms and led him out of his cell.

There was something unsettling, however. Something wrong. The halls were nearly empty, with the occasional Peridot, Quartz, or Quartzite coming down the hall and even then, they were always walking at a brisk pace, as if late or trying to escape something. As if to make it more obvious that something was different, the Quartzes didn't escort him to the room that the dreams usually happened. Strange.

Instead, they led him to a room at the end of a long hallway. The room looked about the same as the room he often was in, other than the fact that there was more equipment than he could ever count and in the middle was not a chair, but a metal table. Before Dipper could even move or flinch, the Quartzes forcefully picked him up. He struggled to get out of their grasp, but to no avail. They put him on the metal table and fastened the metal clasps on him. It was odd how the clasps positioned his body. His right arm was right next to his body, while his left arms was stretched out to the side of him. The Quartzes looked at him for a split moment, eyes full of malevolent intent, before leaving.

He sat there in silence for awhile before the lights above him turned on, temporarily blinding him. Dipper looked to the side of him to see many gems stream in. No. Not just any gems. Peridots. Many of them, in different sizes and shapes, but all of them there for a reason Dipper didn't know. Finally, one of them stepped in front of the crowd and walked over to Dipper.

This Peridot looked a lot like the Crystal Gem Peridot back on Earth. The stern, concentrated glare she gave him was almost completely identical. She analyzed Dipper's body, more specifically, his left arm. She poked and prodded it with the floating fingers of her limb enhancers. Then, she actually looked Dipper in the eye.

"Do you feel anything?" The Peridot asked, less out of curiosity and more like that was a part of her report.

Dipper didn't answer. He didn't want to answer. It just didn't seem right. The Peridot didn't seem to be too hung up about the answer, however, as the other Peridots came up and helped her with the work. Some were pulling out machinery, while others pulled out their finger screens and typed in information and code. Finally, the lead Peridot brought up a piece of equipment. It looked as though it was supposed to clamp down on something. Before Dipper could guess what it was supposed to hold on to, she put it on his left arm effectively holding it in place.

The lead Peridot pressed a button on the device and Dipper could feel the prick of a tiny needles piercing his skin. Of course, he merely bared through it, for this was nothing compared to the pain the suppressor had put him through. The other Peridots seemed to be waiting for something as they lined up against the far wall, looking at Dipper with nothing but contempt.

Finally, after a minute or so, the needles left his arm and she pulled off the device, leaving him to only wonder what they were trying to accomplish with that device, if it caused him barely any pain. She turned and made a motion to the other Peridots. They all saluted her before one of the Peridots left the room. All of the rest stayed in place, as if awaiting something.

The lead Peridot looked back at him, a smirk crossing her face. This made Dipper beyond afraid. What were they doing to him now? However, he hid his fear as the Peridot spoke.

"Afraid?" She said condescendingly. Dipper glared at her in response, to which she shrugged. She walked over to a control panel, as did most of the other Peridots, who merely stood behind her. Before she pressed the button, she looked over at him again. "You should be."

With a press of the button, a mechanism above him dropped down a bit to reveal a blade much like a saw and a laser of some sort and before he knew it, the blade was right above him.

Right above his left arm.

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"Oh my stars!" Quartzite gasped. It took her a while, but she found the file with no disruption. However, what she found in said file was something horrific and gruesome. It almost took all her might just to stay in that file to see what day they were planning to do it. Unfortunately, when she saw it, she saw where she had been wrong.

The lead Quartzite must've either not believed her or had no choice. She hadn't stopped the modifications, as they called it. She was merely taken out of the picture, and that was the biggest problem.

Pulling her hands out of the database, she wasted no time in looking around her surroundings. She immediately ran out of the room and down the corridor, hoping beyond hope that she would make it in time to stop it.

Stop whatever was behind the file named "Stonemason".

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The agony was unbearable. To have a limb cut off from the rest of your body was already a terrifying concept, but to actually be there in that chair and feel the cold blade tear away one of the things that made you feel complete was indescribably horrific. The pain didn't just make make Dipper see red. It blinded him. Still, even as he tried to shut out the anguish, there was no relief to come. The blade tore through his arm mercilessly and nothing could save him.

He felt hot liquid on his skin near the wound, and it was a nauseating thought when he came to the conclusion that it was his blood. This was it. This was how they were planning to kill him. He would die from blood loss unless properly treated, and unfortunately, Homeworld didn't know much about organic life forms. Even if he did survive that, he would die from gangrene or some other infectious disease. Still, this didn't help the pain. Dipper was so distracted from the pain that he didn't hear his own screams which were torn from his throat. It was gruesome. Thought was the last thing the operation quieted, as his screams became distant and his eyes went blurry. His mind was fuzzy and his entire body felt sickly. As he felt himself loose consciousness, he could only hope: that this was all a dream. A nightmare. He wasn't loosing his left arm. He wasn't on Homeworld. He was on Earth and when he would wake up, it would all be fine.

The last thing that he heard before he passed out from the pain was his name, screamed out in fear and anger, before everything was silenced.

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When Dipper woke up, it felt like the whole ordeal was a dream. His left arm wasn't gone. He could feel it. He could move his left hand. He could make a fist with it. It was still there. Unfortunately, he was still in his filthy Homeworld prison cell, but at least that was better than losing an arm.

When he tried to get up from the ground with his left arm, it wasn't there. It made him gasp from fear and disbelief. No. No no no nonono. This couldn't have happened. He looked to his left arm, only to find a stump covered in makeshift bandages in its place. The cloth was red. A dark red. Dipper felt sick. His stomach churned when he saw it red. He knew what it was, though he dared not confirm it.

Why had he felt his arm, though? No. It should be there. Maybe this was a dream within a dream. He tried to wake up, but to no avail. No. This was real. He sat up and tried to think through everything. Unfortunately, that didn't help. His arm was gone. It was cut off. Nothing but a stump was left. What he thought was his sense of touch from his left arm was something he had only read in books. Ghost pains. Ghost pains were never painful physically, but it definitely was mentally. It felt like his arm was still there, but the psychological horror he felt when he looked down almost made his heart stop.

Tears welled up in his eyes. Despite everything that told him this was real, he still held on to the stray hope it wasn't, and even that was fading. If he ever reached home, how could he live without his left arm? How could he explain this to everyone? To his parents? Would they treat him like a damaged member of the team? Now, he couldn't sword fight very well at all. Even a fall in a sword fight could end it for him. Now, he couldn't do anything to protect anyone. He was the one that needed protection, and he hated it.

He didn't dare try to stem the flow of his tears. His knees were close to his chest and his one arm hugged them close, as if it could protect him from the evils of this new world. Where was Quartzite? Where was she? Shouldn't she have come around this time to comfort him and give him food? Right now, he needed her more than ever. Unfortunately, she didn't come, and he was left to the horrors he remembered from the operation and the thoughts of being a liability to everybody. He was worthless. Worthless and alone.

Suddenly, the door opened and two Quartz soldiers came through. Dipper didn't fight to get out of their grip when they picked him up. What could he do? Punch them with his stub of an arm? Partially holding and partially dragging him down the hall, they brought him to the same room where Yellow Diamond had condemned him to his fate. Though it was days ago, it felt like years. As they led him to the center, he saw the familiar figure of Yellow Diamond, sitting on her throne. She didn't glare at him this time, but at the lead Quartzite in front of her.

"It seems the suppressor is an outdated piece of gem tech," Yellow Diamond concluded, her voice smooth yet impatient.

"Please, my diamond, I promise you this had been the only time in history it has failed its duty!" Quartzite 2-B pleaded, trying to keep her composure. "I promise you it would still work effectively for the project."

"Enough!" Yellow Diamond shouted, causing Quartzite 2-B to shut her mouth. "You're method is questionable. You are demoted from your rank and there will be no demonstration or test for your useless progress."

"I-I understand, my diamond," the Quartzite leader replied gravely. "It was a pleasure serving you. I assume you will give my position to the Peridot after I am shattered."

"That is to be decided," Yellow Diamond said calmly. "If you can prove your loyalty, I will spare you."

"Thank you, my merciful diamond," She responded, sounding somewhat relieved.

Yellow Diamond finally turned to Dipper. She smiled at his broken form. He was definitely broken. His spirits were broken and his hopes were all but destroyed. He didn't feel like making a sarcastic remark or looking brave. It didn't matter.

"Bring in the rebel," Yellow Diamond ordered. As soon as she ordered it, two more quartz soldiers came in, holding another broken form in their hands. It took Dipper awhile to recognize her, but when he did, he gasped.

It was Quartzite. His friend, Quartzite. Her form was limp in the arms of the quartz soldiers, her head lulling downward and her long hair in front of her face. What caught Dipper off guard was how she had changed in appearance. Whereas once she wore a dress, she now wore an outfit more suited to fighting. Dipper could almost compare her outfit to the clothing he and Connie war for sword fighting. Quartzite was panting before she looked up.

She glared at Yellow Diamond. It was much like the temporary anger she had in Dipper's cell, except this time, it didn't seem like it would cease. Then, she finally seemed to notice Dipper. When she saw him, her eyes widened in fear. She kept her mouth shut, and Dipper, though not in a good mental or emotional state, decided it would be best to do the same.

"So you're the Quartzite that caused the chaos yesterday? I would've expected you to know your place, but you are from Earth, so I can't expect much, can I?" Yellow Diamond said, annoyance dripping from her voice. "To think your weak body and mind could break through the training."

"Let me go and I'll show you whose weak!" Quartzite countered angrily, though the quartz soldiers held her back from doing any other damage.

"Feisty. Interesting you would say that, considering the position you are in. Thus the reason why for the mental resistance training and all the reason why there should be no broken quartzites." Yellow Diamond responded, surprisingly calm. Her eyes narrowed in on Dipper. "She has been helping you, hasn't she?"

Dipper was careful not to confirm this accusation. He glared out of spite but did not incriminate Quartzite with any of his actions. However, Yellow Diamond was not convinced. She then turned back to Quartzite.

"You will have a choice. You can go through the suppressor again, return to the human zoo, and we never speak of this again, or you can be condemned for your crimes and be shattered on the spot."

Quartzite grit her teeth in anger. "I will not go through that cursed machine again."

Yellow Diamond frowned before turning to the quartzes. "Fine then. You two, shatter her!"

"No!" Dipper cried out as the two quartzes came closer to Quartzite to poof her. She struggled against the two, realizing her time was running short, before she finally got an idea. In a swift motion, her gem glowed as a helmet formed over her blue hair. It wasn't like Jasper's helmet, which was meant for combat, but a protective one. However, it was still made of hard and tough material and she used that to her advantage.

With the quartz soldiers behind her, trying to get a good grasp on her to poof her, she threw her head back, hitting one of the quartzes in the head. This temporarily distracted that one guard, allowing her to wriggle free of that quartz's grip. Then, she turned to look at the quartz holding her other hand and pulled her hand towards her, causing the guard be forced into a somersault motion. Before the Diamond above her could react, she started to run towards Dipper.

"I'll get you out of here!" She cried as the quartzes surrounding Dipper ran after the rogue Quartzite. She held out her arm in front of her as the first quartz tried to grab it. Once the soldier grabbed it, Quartzite did the same thing she did with the other guard and caused the quartz to fall into a somersault. The other guard tried to tackle her, only for her to sidestep the guard completely and trip her up. The guard shouted in alarm as she fell onto her companion on the ground.

After that, Quartzite ran to Dipper. She smiled as she put out her hand. A hand that offered him a chance to go. A chance to leave. A chance to leave with his remaining limbs. It was a comforting thought, even though his arm was gone. Though he was a liability, it was still a wonder she cared for him. The determination she held that wanted to bring him home to his family and friends. She was truly a Crystal Gem in the making.

A sharp breath escaped Quartzite's lips as a blade came out of her torso, her smile disappearing in a heartbeat. Dipper gasped and put his right hand over his mouth. Quartzite didn't say anything. Not a word. She seemed to know it would be better if she said nothing. She knew it was game over for her. With that, her physical form gave way.

Behind her was the lead Quartzite, unfazed by the sudden attempt of an escape. With a quick motion, she captured her fellow gem's gem and held it in her left hand. She smirked a little at Dipper's dashed hopes and dreams and the horrified expression that now replaced it.

"A shame," the Quartzite muttered. "She would've been a good soldier."

With that, she dropped the gem on the ground and right before Dipper's eyes, shattered his friend with her foot. His only friend in this dark place gone in a flash. Gone in a crack. The only traces of her existence were in the shards and powder of what used to be her gem. The worst part was that it was his fault. If he distracted her, hadn't allowed her to come up to him, she would've been fine. She would've escaped and may have found help to rescue him. Now, not only was he not getting rescued, but there was no reprieve from the pain and torture and no one to talk about it with. He was all alone.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Quartzite 2-B," Yellow Diamond said with a smirk. "Only one Quartzite will be shattered today, it seems."

"Thank you, my diamond," the Quartzite leader replied, relieved from not being on death's door any longer.

Yellow Diamond turned to the quartz soldiers, who had resumed their places beside Dipper after the short-lived fight. "Put him back where he belongs."

The quartzes saluted their Diamond and then led Dipper down the corridor and into his cell. He sat down in the middle of the room and tried to summarize all that had happened. Now, he didn't have an arm and the only ally he had in this prison was now dead. Torture was all he could await for, and no rescue was coming. Trying to ignore these thoughts, he looked around the room. That is when he saw it.

A small apple in the long-forgotten corner of the prison cell. How had he not seen it before? Inching towards the apple, he picked it up and rolled it in his only hand. Then, he saw the bite mark. That's when he remembered. The first day he met Quartzite, she ate an apple too. She only took one bite and then left it behind. It had been such a common sight for Dipper that he had forgotten it existed, lying on the ground with no one willing to eat anymore of it.

The first and last bite Quartzite had ever eaten. She would never see Earth again. She would never see the Crystal Gems or meet Dipper's friends. For that matter, how would he ever see his friends? There was no hope of him coming home now, and even if he had a way, would he want to? His arm was gone. How could anyone view him as normal now? He was truly weak. He could no longer sword fight well. All a holo-Pearl would have to do is knock him to the ground and he wouldn't be able to get up easily. His hugs would be basically one-sided. He would never write effectively anymore. Turning pages was no long easy. Eating with a fork and knife? That was a joke. Homeworld had taken everything away from him. His way home, a friend, his family and friends on Earth, and his arm.

With that, tears fell from his eyes and a sob wracked his body. He cried for many things. His family, his friends, the loss of Quartzite, the regret he felt, the loss of a way home, and the loss of his arm. All the while, he kept on thinking, it couldn't get any worse. He was at rock bottom. What could be worse than this? Therefore, there was no way anything could get worse, right?

...Right?

 **A/N Sorry if this isn't to standard. I am trying really hard but I am not too good at angst, apparently. Oh well. Anyways, I must officially say that Minijen's son has suffered way more than my sons. I mean, I guess that depends on which version of my sons are, but in Handplates, Papyrus and Sans do not experience nearly that amount of pain. I mean, all they had was a plate screwed into their hand. I think it really means something if I am able to torture someone else's son more than I can torture my own. I don't know if that is a compliment at all, but that is just an observation I have. Anyways, have an angsty afternoon and know that I am indeed alive! :)**


	5. Where The Villains Wear a Smile

**A/N Hello. Welcome back. I'm so sorry this has taken me awhile. This was the part where my knowledge of Stonemason was on shaky ground, and I couldn't rely on the Count of Monte Cristo, because if I did, Dipper, with the help of Quartzite, would've faked his death, been thrown into the sea, and then found by pirates. Then, after a duel, he becomes the captain of the ship. Y'know, compared to what Dipper goes through, Edmund got out relatively unscathed and went from sailor to prisoner, to captain of a bunch of pirates. Also, that sounds suspiciously like what Lars went through... Back to angst.**

 **Note: The little song in here is from the Phantom of the Opera musical. Why? Because that musical is my favorite. I bet you thought it was The Count of Monte Cristo, but nope! Monte Cristo is just easier to relate with this story.**

 _October: AW (After Weirdmageddon)_

Her mind was a living hell. The sky was dark with a light tint of yellow. There was the ruins of burnt palm trees around a now poisoned and contaminated river. The ground was just dust, dirt, and ashes. There no grass. No sunshine. It was just a wasteland made out of the remnants of something else.

However, she didn't fear the mindscape that used to be perfect in every single way. She feared one thing that was in it. The 11- or 12-year-old girl was playing hide-and-seek against a monster that used to be a part of her. She feared what would happen if that monster found her.

She hid behind a large rock, hoping it would give her time to catch her breath. However, as she did, tears fell from her cheeks. Back where she used to live, she didn't know the meanings of "pain", "torture", "death", "fear", or "loneliness". Now, she knew all of those words quite well, having experienced most of those as of late. She didn't even know that those words existed to describe the feelings she felt until the green person, that she now knew was called a Peridot, put something in her head. Now, she was full of knowledge, but it also made that "thing" appear.

It had approached her so kindly at first, but something seemed off. It seemed her instincts were right. Now, not only did she have to fight off death, but she had to run from this monster too.

As if on cue, a sharp pain came from her entire body. Gritting her teeth, she watched as her body seemed to flicker, as well as her mindscape. It was like her life was trying to escape her body. However, she had one thing going for her. She was stubborn, and she refused to die so easily. Riding out the pain, everything went back to normal as she panted.

She looked down at her hands instinctively. She already knew the pattern. Whenever she had a close encounter with death, that "thing" would try to force the girl to become a part of it. Immediately, she saw yellow chains start to come into existence around her wrists. In frustration, she pulled her wrists forcefully out of the partially-physical chains, immediately stopping the process.

She couldn't do this for much longer. She could already feel her fate closing in, each of them resulting in her death. Joining the monster would make her not be herself. Embracing death would kill herself, and if the monster found her, her consciousness would be killed, leaving only the monster to remain. She had already tried calling out for help in her mind, but nobody came.

In all honesty, she had held out for so long in hopes she would see her friends and family again in their paradise. By now, the voice probably told them to eat the fruit, which was always a different color. Her older brother was probably sitting near the swimming lake, waiting for her to return, knowing she would return. Now, she wasn't so sure if she could.

Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of a song. Consciously, she knew what was going on, but ever since she had been tortured, she lived in a state between her conscious and subconscious. The girl stood up in confusion, wondering what the song would do. Then, the song rang through loud and clear, causing her mindscape to shake as she looked around in fear.

Then, amidst the loud noise, she heard footsteps. Without thinking, she ran away from the rock she was hiding behind, hoping to stay away from the monster. Unfortunately, she underestimated the song's power.

 _"There you are."_ The girl found herself frozen in place. In fear, she turned towards the direction the voice was coming from.

In front of her was almost an exact clone of herself. The monster had long brown hair that went down to her neck. This brown hair partially covered up one of her eyes while also covering her forehead with bangs. The monster's eyes were the same sky blue color as hers. The monster wore a sweater with the top half purple with the bottom pink, gray shorts, and brown boots that went up to her knee. The only difference was that the monster had a yellow flower in her hair.

The monster smirked as it looked at the fearful girl. _"I've been looking for you!"_ it said in a deceptively kind voice. _"Come with me."_ It put out its hand for her to take.

"Stay away!" The girl yelled, trying to be brave.

 _"How rude!"_ The monster replied, pretending to be insulted. Then, she closed her eyes with a smile. _"Oh well. You've asked for it."_ Immediately, it opened its eyes. Its eyes were the same color, but the pupils were different. They were diamonds.

With a cruel grin, it pointed towards the girl. _"Mal, get her."_ Suddenly, the yellow flower in her hair changed shape, turning into a formless yellow blob. Two dark eyes appeared in it, scaring the girl into motion. Before the girl could see the rest, she bolted. Mal, the yellow blob, followed her relentlessly as she ran, fearful tears streaming down the girl's cheeks. Coming to a cliff face, the girl came to a stop and ducked her head down as Mal smashed into the rock. It seemed to delay it. Taking this opportunity, she ran parallel to the cliff face, hoping to out run the blob and its owner. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Letting out a yelp in surprise, she felt her arm become caught on something. Turning in shock, she found that Mal had not only caught her by the arm, but it was also connected to the monster itself. It was almost like the blob was an extension of the monster's arm. The monster smiled confidently as she used her arm extension to throw the girl into the air.

Then, the monster leaped into the air as well and grasped onto the girl's shoulders. As the two were in the air, Mal went around one of the monster's feet. Then, in a sudden motion, the monster turned in the air and managed the kick the girl back down to the ground using the foot Mal covered. The pain was almost unbearable as the girl hit the ground. Because Mal surrounded the monster's foot, the blow had felt like she had been hit by metal. Her entire body stung and ached, and yet, as she laid in the crater that formed, she knew the battle wouldn't end anytime soon.

Mal had transformed into a weapon in the monster's hands. A yellow scythe, to be precise. The monster fell on top of the girl, trying to slash and kill her. Luckily, the girl caught the handle of the scythe in her hands. This managed to save her for the time being, but it had now become a test of strength. The monster was on top of her with a maniacal grin, pushing her scythe towards the girl to end her life, while the girl pushed it away.

The girl's time was running out. Her strength was failing her, and no amount of stubbornness could save her from the killing blow. She only had two choices now. No one was coming to save her. If she were to die at the hands of her counterpart, the monster would take over and make her be remembered as an assassin. A killer. The sweet, innocent girl she used to be would be lost in the sands of time. She would be dead before her body. However, if she were to choose to die...

As if it were fate, a pain went through her entire body. Her body flickered, and so did everything else in the mindscape, including her monster. Death had come to fight her again. This time, however, she did not fight back.

For the first time, her counterpart's grin faded and fear replaced glee as she realized the girl wasn't resisting death. _"What are you doing?!"_ it asked, watching as parts of the mindscape started to disappear into nothingness.

This time, it was the girl's turn to smile. "I will die when I say I die," she replied. "I decided now was as good as it could get."

 _"You fool! You will never see your brother again!"_

"I guess we're even, then."

Both consciousnesses started to flicker as the world around them started to go black. Now, it was a fight of will as the song started to injure and kill both of them. Without the girl stopping death, now it effected both of them. However, whoever was left standing could stop the process. Luckily for the girl, the monster on top of her was so shocked that it lost focus. With a battle cry, she pried the scythe from her monster's hands and pushed the monster onto the ground. Unable to comprehend what was happening, both Beta-9 and her companion, Mal, weren't able to stop the killing blow.

With a shaky sigh, Ay-Six dropped the yellow scythe to the ground, which not only reverted back to its natural state, but also turned to dust. The body of her monster did likewise. This was the third time she had killed her monster, but she hoped this would be the last. At least now she would have the time to say her goodbyes.

However, no one would hear who she said goodbye too. Sometimes, words are best left forgotten. Though she sobbed and bid farewell to many of her friends and family, she never spoke a word. As the mindscape gave out from under her, she was thrust into a world of mental pain. It was like a red hot iron had been placed into her head.

She begged for it to stop, and she got her wish as every feeling went numb and her vision went dark.

* * *

 _Present Day_

Dipper panted as he hid around the corner of the main corridor and a side corridor. He struggled to catch his breath as Quartzites ran quickly past him. He actually was surprised he made it this far. His plan to escape his cell was admittedly last minute, but he never expected it to work, and yet here he was. All he did was stand next to the wall nearest to the door and when his new medic, a Peridot, came in, looking at her finger screens rather than looking for the prisoner, he ran through the rapidly disappearing door.

He had the element of surprise when he passed the Quartzite guards near the door, who were sorely unprepared. After losing his arm, they thought he wouldn't attempt to escape. Although that was true for a few days, he finally realized it was do or die, and he decided to act. The Quartzites took chase, but he had the advantage. Since they were unprepared, it took them precious seconds to realize what was actually happening. In that time, he was able to run far enough down the corridor that all he had to do was slip around the corner and wait for them to pass.

It worked surprisingly well and Dipper still couldn't believe he chose to do this. What was next? He only planned to exit his cell, not escape Homeworld entirely. How was he supposed to do that now? Why did he do this? It took some mental coaxing to remember. He had already lost so much. He lost his arm, his friends, his friendly ally, and his hopes. Was there anything left for him to lose? His life, he guessed, but it was either escape or perish eventually, so it was worth the shot.

Regaining focus, Dipper scanned both hallways. They were pretty empty. As it turned out, the lead Quartzite and her fellow Quartzites were sent away until something happened. The only exceptions were those who were kept to guard places of great importance. Whatever had caused the Quartzites to withdraw was up for debate, but it certainly left this wing of the structure less guarded.

Quickly, he decided to go down the main corridor. Although it was more likely to be filled with guards, it was also more likely it would lead to a location where he could steal a ship and leave. Finding the coast was clear, he took off swiftly, hoping not to meet a single gem.

Within a few moments, he found a large door that did not disappear. Looking at the side screen, he quickly recalled the way Pearl had opened the doors on the Human Zoo and found, to his relief, that it worked. As he slipped in, he held his breath as he heard the footsteps of Gems before the doors finally closed.

He sighed in relief before quickly assessing the room. His heart sank when he realized there was only one way out and that was the way he came in. Continuing to scan the room, he found that it was like someone's private quarters, and he had a feeling he could guess whose it was. Around the walls were windows, overlooking all of Homeworld. In the center of the chambers was a throne made out of yellow stone. Dipper's face went pale as he felt the urge to run away from this room, but not before the large door opened.

Reflexively, he ran behind the throne, out of sight from the door. There, he listened carefully to any sound other than the fast beating of his heart. The door closed and the sound of huge footsteps rang through the room until it came to a stop near the throne. Instinctively, Dipper could tell who was now sitting in the throne. The most loathsome of all the Diamonds. Yellow Diamond.

The sound of the tapping of finger screens made it clear she was checking through data and such. Then, the tapping stopped before a voice rang through loud and clear from her screens.

"My Diamond," the voice said, and immediately, Dipper felt anger go through his entire being. It was the distorted, hidden voice of Montresor, the man who condemned him to this fate for no good reason.

"Montresor," the Diamond responded.

"Is there anything my Diamond wants me to know?" Montresor asked, sounding interested as to why the Diamond would contact him, and in all honesty, Dipper was curious too.

"Everything seems to be going as planned in the project. It seems there is just one problem," Yellow Diamond answered. "The Human Zoo keeps extensive count of its human collection. Unfortunately, humans are counted once they are put in. Blue wants me to put Mason in the zoo in a couple of rotations."

"I see," the cold voice of Montresor rang out, almost understanding what the Diamond was offering. "Luckily, I have a human who would be a perfect... replacement. If what you have told me is correct, then humans are nothing but numbers in the system. The human I will provide will make a fine addition."

The words filled Dipper with dread and hatred. The one Diamond who could've given him a better fate than losing his arm was being tricked into thinking he was already in the zoo. It was cruel. Which human would take his place? Was his sister going to be put into the zoo? It was clear this "Montresor" knew about him and his family. What was stopping him from putting his family in the zoo? It was a horrifying thought.

"I will send a ship in order to pick up your gift to us and I will provide a little gift of my own," the Diamond replied with a smirk. It wasn't clear what Montresor thought about the ominous gift the Diamond was offering until he spoke.

"Gift?"

"I am a Diamond of my word, Montresor. You may be a lesser organic life form, but you know your place," Yellow Diamond explained matter-of-factly. "Vengeance is finally ours, thanks to you, and I believe a gift from a Diamond will benefit us both greatly."

"I understand," Montresor murmured. "I will await the ship's arrival."

"As for the Quartzite incident, my Peridots promise me that their method is much more clear cut and has less of a chance for failure," She continued with an unconcerned look. "A Quartzite is never meant to be broken. To find that the method for suppressing emotions has failed is troubling, to say the least."

"What is the main issue with breaking a Quartzite?"

"In many ways, emotions are like a river. The suppressor dams emotions, making it hard to feel anything. However, if this river of emotions is insistent, it breaks such a barrier," Yellow Diamond concluded. "In other words, all of the emotions that were bottled up for centuries come back with catastrophic consequences."

"How catastrophic?"

"It can range from irrationally angry to unbearable depression, depending," Yellow Diamond replied, nonchalantly. "At least that's what my Peridot's sent in on their report of the event."

He was done listening. With a firm resolve, Dipper tried to find a way out. Maybe he could climb up the wall behind Yellow Diamond and then break through the windows behind. By the time she would notice, he would be gone. He could try and find a way out like Mabel and Steven had. If they could find a way off of Homeworld, so could he.

Now, all he needed to do was climb. He looked down at his hands... or hand, as it were. He cursed himself. Ghost pains were starting to annoy him. It was insult to injury. Not only did he not have an arm, but he also forgot about the fact he didn't have an arm. He couldn't linger on the pain, though. He had to focus. Climbing was off the table now, since he had never climbed without two arms and he didn't want to try.

He eventually came to the conclusion that there was no easy escape in this room. He had to go into another room. Unfortunately, he had to sneak to the door out of the room without a pearl or diamond noticing him. Maybe if he waited until they left, he would have his chance.

"That is all I have to say. Thank you, Montresor," Yellow Diamond finally concluded.

"Montresor, out." With that, the call ended and the room was silent, other than taps of finger screens. Dipper's heart beat like a drum. What could he do? There had to be something that would hide him better than just hiding behind the throne. Deciding he was going to make a break for the door, he readied himself for the tiring sprint.

Suddenly, the door opened as four quartz soldiers entered the room. Then, the whole scene was a blur. The quartzes noticed Dipper almost immediately. Without another moment's notice, he bolted. In his mind, he knew he was as good as dead. He would easily be caught. A diamond was going to see him if he went to one side, but quartzes were going to catch him and blow his cover anyway. If anything, his mad dash was a self-preservation instinct, rather than a good strategy.

Yellow Pearl let out a tiny yelp as Dipper ran around her. Unfortunately, he had not calculated Yellow Diamond's reaction time. With a surprised yell, he felt the hand of the gem ruler firmly and painfully grab his remaining arm and lift him off the ground.

"No! Nononononono!" Dipper shouted as he looked at the door before him. The quartzes positioned themselves in front of her giant throne. All of them bowed their heads and did the diamond salute as the diamond scowled at him.

"Mason..." Yellow Diamond said, angrily.

"My Diamond," one of the quartzes replied as she stepped forward. "He escaped when Peridot entered to do his inspection. We didn't think he would-"

"Silence!" The diamond ordered, causing the Quartz to look down at her feet in terror. Then, the gem tyrant looked at Dipper. "Did you really think you could escape?! There is nowhere to go!"

"Nowhere is better than here," Dipper countered, scowling back at the diamond. "You were going to kill me either way."

"What do you want us to do with him, my Diamond?" The Quartz asked respectfully. "Do you want us to kill him?"

"You fool!" Yellow Diamond snapped. "Death is too merciful for him. Instead, we teach him a lesson. Give him to the Peridot in charge. She will show him what happens if he ever tries to escape again."

With that, Yellow Diamond dropped Dipper to the ground. His body stung as he hit the ground with a thud. Without any hesitation, the quart soldiers took him by the arms and started to drag him out of the chambers. As Dipper started to recover from the fall, he started to struggle, but with no success.

As he was led out of the room, kicking and promising vengeance, Yellow Diamond smirked, knowing he wouldn't resist or protest against her for long, if things went on schedule.

* * *

"It's just a few more weeks until you have your costume ball," he said to Pacifica with a look of concern. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she lied, not even trying to hide the fact that she wasn't as lively or happy as she used to be.

Mondego had asked Pacifica if she wished to join him on a walk through the forests surrounding Gravity Falls. She didn't even hesitate. Her parents had made her home feel cold and unfeeling. So far, only Mondego seemed to care about her melancholy. Knowing that she didn't want to be reminded of her loss, he tried not to bring up the subject. He only occasionally asked how she was feeling. However, that only helped so much.

Hearing her reply, he only made a concerned noise before giving a small smile and changing the subject. "You know, I was a lead role in a musical once. The girl who was my character's love interest though? She was a horrible singer. I'm surprised nobody left in the middle of her songs!" Mondego laughed a little, though Pacifica didn't join in. Instead, she nodded. "Anyways, I remembered how I heard you sing a while back and it was beautiful. I kind of wish you were the female lead role."

"Yeah..." Pacifica answered, absentmindedly.

"...It would be nice if I could hear you sing a bit..." Mondego finally stated, realizing she wouldn't take the hint.

"What?" She responded, returning to reality upon hearing his request.

"It can be anything!" He reassured with a smile. "I promise."

Pacifica paused for a moment, trying to decide on a song. There were so many choices, but she discarded many of these choices because they were happy, something that didn't match her mood at all. In all honesty, she didn't want to sing anything. However, this was Mondego's wish, and if it pleased him enough to get him to let her grieve, so be it.

 _"You were once my one companion,"_ she started somberly, her back to Mondego. _"You were all that mattered."_

Tears streamed down her face, though Mondego didn't see it, as she made a choice and changed the lyrics of the song to better fit her emotions. _"You were once my love and ally. Then my world was shattered."_

 _"Wishing you were somehow here again,"_ she sang, her tone hopeful, yet sad as all of her impossible dreams were. She wished Dipper would come back, but it would never happen. _"Wishing you were somehow near. Sometimes it seems, if I just dream, somehow you would be here!"_

 _"Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would."_ Pacifica turned towards Mondego, showing him her tears that was flowing like a river. _"Dreaming of you won't help me to do all that you knew I could."_

She couldn't continue as she let out a sob. All the feelings she had bottled up inside was spilling over, and there was no sign of stopping. However, she opened her eyes as she felt a hand on her cheek. Mondego looked at her with seriousness in his gaze. Using his thumb, he wiped away the tears near his hand as he spoke.

"Listen, Pacifica. The world sucks," he started, his gaze unmoving as he tried to convey his message. "It's a place where villains smile while they take what you treasure most. However, you can wipe that smile off their faces with a quick wit."

" _Nemo me impune lecessit._ " He continued. "That's my family's motto. It means 'No one strikes me with impunity.' If you stand strong, a chance will come when you can avenge Dipper. Until then, just smile and hide how much pain you are in until you can unleash your grief upon your enemy."

Pacifica was silent for a while. "I-I don't know if I can do that..."

"Pacifica, if there was one person in the world I believed could do this, it's you," Mondego reassured her calmly. "Those Homeworld gems are bound to come back again, and when they do, we'll be ready."

"I guess I'll try..."

"Try is all it takes. Vengeance is ours."

"Has it ever worked for you?"

Mondego smiled. "Yes. It has."

Little did Pacifica know that Mondego had exacted vengeance on Dipper, the one she truly loved. Little did Pacifica know that at this very moment, her boyfriend was alive, but not particularly well, as the Peridots cut through the skin on his forehead to break him. However, what no one but Mondego knew was that Mondego had exacted vengeance on two people in his plot.

He had been holding back tears ever since his father left, the very man that taught him the basics of sword fighting and had shown him love and attention. It was at that very moment that the person responsible for driving him away was being flown across the universe to the human zoo to take Dipper's place. In exchange, Mondego got a valuable weapon. For him, it was a great trade.

Besides, was a negligent mother worth that much to him?

* * *

To return to his cell was a relief.

His entire body ached from the endless torture he had been through. Seconds had felt like hours as the Peridots put him through every pain they could find. First was the punishment for escaping. With a blade with less precision than a scalpel, they decided to cut the one place where he could feel the pain the most vividly: his forehead. They didn't even try to be fast with the cut, taking great pleasure in the agony it caused.

Once they were satisfied with the gash on his birthmark, they decided to stitch it up. Although this could've been mistaken for a gesture of kindness, it didn't help Dipper's mental or physical health. This only meant they could hurt him and then stitch him up. They could tear him apart and then rebuild him again, as long as it put him through pain.

Next came the actual torture session he was going to endure anyways, except the amount of time he was going to experience it was now multiplied due to his escape. This, he had never experienced before and he wished that were still true. It made the Quartzite's method seem like a dreamland. Contraptions which held needles were placed over his arms and legs. All at once, they injected the fluid into his body. His blood became hot lava, burning through his body and leaving no feeling behind. It was odd how he could feel the mysterious fluid flow through his body. Mentally, it was torture, for he eventually found out where the fluid went.

Once it reached his brain, flashes of his mindscape would appear amidst the burning pain. Each time, it would become more hellish. What once was a landscape full of mountains and pine trees quickly became empty. Trees seemed to turn to ash and picturesque mountains were leveled. All through these flashes, he would feel his consciousness slip away. Maybe it would have, if he hadn't made an effort to stop himself.

After the liquid had run its course, he was never unscathed. Since his body had grown used to the painful heat, it shivered in the now torturous air. His brain felt like it has been turned to liquid and each time he opened his eyes, he wasn't sure if he would see his mindscape or reality before him. Then, the Peridots would restart the process and each time, it would get worse. Over and over again, he was thrust into lava before being dropped off in a raging blizzard over Antarctica. Over and over again, he was brought to his mindscape where he would almost fade into nothingness and then brung back to reality where nothing but pain remained.

This lasted for hours and so, Dipper was tired, shivering, and occasionally shoved back into his mindscape in his cell. As he sat there, it took him a while to realize he was even shaking. It took him even longer to realize that sometimes, he would just sit there, not thinking about anything. In fact, when he felt hot liquid run from his nose, it took him longer than it should've for him to realize that blood was dripping from his nose.

Each time he realized he had stopped thinking, he would try to stop himself from doing it, only to fail. Eventually, he came to the conclusion when he was thinking that he was fighting a losing battle. Maybe the only way to win was to sleep. What he found shocking was the fact that despite everything that had happened to him, he found no trouble falling asleep.

When he woke up, he found things were worse than they were before. It seemed the the liquid did its job in his sleep. Though he had little recollection of his dreams, the one thing he could remember was a song. A song he had heard once before... but he couldn't remember where. All of his memories were a blur, although few were clearer than others. He couldn't help but hum the tune when he was thinking of nothing.

Names and faces, however, were still crystal clear. Maybe it was because his friends, family, and enemies were all ingrained into not just his mind, but his very consciousness. It was easy to remember that he was Dipper Pines and that he had a sister named Mabel, a girlfriend named Pacifica, friends by the names of Steven, Connie, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Wendy, and Soos, and that his main enemy at the moment was his Diamond... He shook his head. _Yellow Diamond_ was his enemy.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened and he found himself face to face with the Quartzite who had first led the project. Upon her presence, he found himself more alert and aware. Although he was weak, he scowled at the gem with ferocity. Immediately, she held up a hand as her cold eyes looked down at him.

"Believe me, Mason. I am about as happy about this arrangement as you are, but I am honor bound to do this," she explained, grudgingly.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked sarcastically, secretly amazed he was still able to be sarcastic.

"A mutual acquaintance," the Quartzite replied, cryptically. "Now, are you going to listen, or am I going to have to throw away everything she has done for both of us?"

Dipper was silent, before he nodded compliantly like a servant. Immediately, she brought something in her hand up to show him. It seemed to be a device that looked a lot like a flashdrive. "Now, listen carefully, soldier."

His head started to ache after hearing his strange title and yet, as he held his head in the pain, he knew he would take these directions to heart since it was from a superior officer. "She told me to give this to you after these specific events. I am honor bound to do so. Keep this in mind, because if I wasn't forced to do this, I would've destroyed this on the spot. Understand so far, Mason?"

Without thinking, he nodded. "My directions are clear and are from your diamond, so follow every word." She ordered, lying about the diamond order, which confused Dipper as to why she would lie when he already knew. She motioned to the device in her hand. "Once a full rotation is over, I will give this to you, soldier. You are to keep it on your person, out of sight forever. If I, my Diamond, or any other gem sees or hears about it, we will destroy it. You are not to watch it until the time is right. She said you would know when. In general, if you don't know if this is the right time, it isn't the time to watch it. This is your Diamond's orders, understand?"

Without hesitating, he nodded, but once the headache died down, he realized that he had said he would follow his... Yellow Diamond's orders. Not only did he not question it immediately, but he also said yes without any hesitation. It chilled him to the core, but he tried to continue to look strong. Then, the Quartzite closed her hand around the object and started towards the door until he spoke.

"Who are you honor bound to?" Dipper asked, causing the Quartzite to pause.

"Quartzites are gems of honor and law. All of us have a code of honor that we follow, no matter the costs," she replied, coldly before turning her head to the side to see Dipper a bit. "Thousands of years ago, a Quartzite saved me from an explosion as we were running back to Homeworld. I would've been shattered if she hadn't. It was by this code of honor, not mercy, that made me wait two hours before reporting her traitorous actions and it is by this code of honor that I will give you her recording."

Before Dipper could even ask anything else, she was gone, leaving him alone to fade and return, over and over again.

* * *

Quartz guards opened his cell and retrieved him after who knows how long. Dipper certainly couldn't remember. He had faded into his mindscape and returned to reality so many times that time didn't seem to matter too much anymore. A minute seemed like hours and days could seem like seconds. All the while, he found dread in the fact that losing track of time as a whole was another way he was losing his grip on reality.

In what seemed like hours, they finally arrived in the proper room and when he saw who was in front of him, time seemed to be consistent again and his mind was no longer vacant. His anger flared at the diamond before him and all he wanted was to make her pay. Yellow Diamond sat smugly in her chair, smirking at Dipper below her. Beside her was her Pearl, who's expression was almost exactly the same as her Diamond's. To the right of Dipper was the lead Quartzite. The one that had visited his cell. She looked at Dipper with her emotionless eyes as she tried to gauge what he would say or do. When she was satisfied by what she saw, she turned back to her Diamond and decided to watch and listen.

"So, Mason? How is your choice treating you?" The diamond asked with a smirk.

"If you trying to change my mind, you might as well kill me," Dipper responded with a scowl.

"You could do join us willingly and you would spare yourself from all the torture you could face."

"I would rather lose another arm," he replied.

"If you refuse this last offer, death would be the only mercy you could hope for," she answered.

"What could be worse than this?! I've already lost an arm and I might be losing my mind too," Dipper yelled back at the diamond. "If you were hoping to gain an assassin by torturing me until I accept your offer, then you lose."

"Oh, how foolish you are," Yellow Diamond replied with a malevolent grin. "I was going to get my Stonemason either way."

Dipper's eyes widened as he realized the implications. All of the torture he had suffered from for weeks now was for this purpose. He now realized what was happening. He wasn't losing his mind. It was being taken. Suddenly, Yellow Diamond started to sing. It was the song he had found himself occasionally humming. Now, with startling clarity, he could remember where he first heard. Yellow had sung it to Blue back at the human zoo. However, he stood in wonder, trying to figure out why she had suddenly started to sing.

After a few seconds, his head started to ache. He started to see spots as each note grew increasingly louder in his head. He tried to plug his ears and brace himself against the song, but it seemed there was no way of stopping it. Even when he couldn't hear it physically, the song played in his head. Each time a note changed, a new sharp pain hurt him. Tears of pain started to flow down his face as he found himself unable to keep standing. He feel to the ground in a kneeling position.

Suddenly, the song seemed to fade into the background. Finding it odd that the song no longer hurt his mind, he opened his eyes and gasped as he found himself in his mindscape, empty and post-apocalyptic in nature. However, it wasn't empty for long. As he stood up, he heard the song grow louder than it was, no longer softly playing in the background. As the song continued, a cloud of darkness seemed to descend from above in front of him, nearly throwing him back.

Conjuring up a sword in his right hand using the power of his mind, he approached the darkness cautiously. He walked around it, observing its behavior with his sword directed towards it. Finding it odd that nothing had happened, he eased up his guard as he approached with curiosity.

A hand came out of the darkness and grabbed a hold of Dipper's shirt. Then, with ease, the arm lifted him up into the air, causing his sword to clatter to the ground and poof out if existence. Dipper struggled to release himself from its grasp as the figure came out of the cloud of darkness. He gasped. In front of him was an identical version of himself. However, the one key difference was how his pupils were diamond-shaped, much like Yellow Diamond's.

Immediately, he deduced what this figure's name was. "You never were any good at surprise attacks," Stonemason commented with a smile. With that, he threw Dipper far away from him, causing Dipper to fall to the ground with a sickening crunch. His mindscape body stung as he laid in the dirt for a while, trying to recover from the impact. Once he opened his eyes, however, he gasped. Coming towards him with a leap was Stonemason with a sword in his right hand.

Dipper didn't waste a second rolling to the right of where Stonemason was going to hit. Once he had rolled clear of the blade, he got onto his hands and knees and stood up. Unfortunately, Dipper had to duck as Stonemason tried to swipe at him. However, this gave him the edge as he kicked at Stonemason's legs, causing the assassin to fall to the ground. Dipper stood to his full height again and started to make a tactful retreat from the assassin.

As he ran, he gasped in alarm as a giant yellow crystal burst through the ground in front of him, causing him to run right into it. Through the transparent crystal, he saw Stonemason, who had somehow gotten there, with his sword poised to swipe through the crystal to get to Dipper. Unable to run away in time, he ducked under where the blade would strike. To his surprise, the blade cut through the yellow crystal like a knife through butter, causing the rest of the crystal to fall to the right. Suddenly, he watched as Stonemason jumped over the base of the crystal and tried to strike him. Quickly summoning a sword, Dipper successfully blocked Stonemason's blow.

Drawing from his training, Dipper slid underneath Stonemason's legs. Without any other hesitation, he ran, trying to get as far away as possible. Yellow crystals started bursting out of the ground around him, but he dodged most of them. The few he couldn't manage to maneuver around, he would cut through with his blade. It took a while of this to realize he was keeping this at a stalemate. Maybe he could win against this monster. Maybe he could fight against it. Maybe-

Suddenly, a yellow crystal burst out of the ground below him. However, rather than hurting him or piercing him, it grew around him until it created a type of cage around him. Panicking, he struck the crystal with his sword, only for it to shatter. The walls of the prison thickened as the song grew louder in his head.

It was then he realized he had already lost.

* * *

Yellow Diamond stopped singing once Mason's body stopped writhing and crying out on the floor. Quartzite watched in curiosity, wondering if maybe it had finally worked. However, maybe he had just lost consciousness. It had happened so often that she had given up on holding hope, but maybe it had worked.

"Stonemason," she said in an authoritative manner.

Quartzite almost couldn't believe it when the human boy stood up and rose his head to look at his diamond. For the first time, the emotionless gem smiled. It had finally worked. The boy's eyes had diamond-shaped pupils, sign that the reconditioning had taken hold. He saluted Yellow Diamond.

"Yes, my diamond," Stonemason replied, ready to take orders.

With that, Yellow Diamond turned to Quartzite with a small smile. "He's all yours. You know what to do."

"Yes, my diamond," Quartzite answered before turning towards Stonemason. "Follow me."

Stonemason nodded as he gave one last salute to his diamond and then followed Quartzite into the hallway, no longer being held back by quartz guards. Once they were out of sight of the diamond, Quartzite slipped something into his hand before moving to walk in front of him.

"You know what to do, soldier," was all she said and that was all it took. Stonemason hid it as Quartzite led him to his final modifications.

* * *

 **A/N Okay. I don't know how close I was to Minijenn's canon. I know torture takes way longer than that, but give me a break. If I kept torturing the boy any longer, this story wouldn't get finished anytime soon. Anyways, I made a surprise! I know not many people read the author's note, but I made a scene that is kind of a background scene. Consider it an Author's Cut.**

 **It has to do with Beta-9. Have fun.**

* * *

 **Bonus scene**

"I can't believe Beta-9 didn't work!" The Peridot exclaimed angrily as she went through the halls. Behind her was a Pearl, following her and nodding in agreement at each statement. "The plan was perfect! What could possibly have gone wrong when I thought it over so many times?!"

"I don't know, my Peridot," her Pearl responded, bowing her head in submission to her master.

"What do you think went wrong, Pearl?" Peridot asked, stopping to look at her Pearl.

Pearl was hesitant at first. It wasn't often Peridot asked her for her opinion. More often than not, she only asked if she believed her Pearl's opinion would support her own. For Pearl, it felt like a test of loyalty. One wrong word and she would be replaced.

"W-well..." Pearl started with worry. "Maybe the mind is too fragile to withstand the device you put in Beta-9's head."

"I agree," Peridot replied, regaining her composure as she turned away from Pearl. Her Pearl let out the breath she was holding, happy that she wouldn't be replaced today. "Reconditioning must be the only way, as much as I hate to admit it. I hoped the implant would keep her permanently loyal, but maybe reconditioning will do the same thing...We must keep experimenting with humans until we get it right."

Peridot stopped talking suddenly. "But could you imagine if it had worked?" She mused to herself before looking at Pearl. "Could you imagine it, Pearl?"

"Of course I can, my Peridot." With that, her gem projected an image before her as she imagined the possibilities of such a thing working.

Though the projection was silent, it was impossible to misunderstand it. There was Peridot's prized project, Beta-9, smiling and talking with Rose and her human confidants. Rose and her human friends clearly liked this young girl a lot. Scenes followed afterwards showing Beta-9 spending time with all of the Crystal Gems and Mystery Kids. She was making sweaters with Mabel one moment and then conversing with Mason about the mysteries of Gravity Falls the next. She was having fun with Connie and Rose and then joking around with the gems.

Finally, with an innocent smile, she hugged Rose Quartz happily. However, behind the young gem's back, she opened her eyes, revealing diamond pupils as a crazed smile was created out of the small smile before. Then, with Malware, the machinery Peridot made with it's own basic consciousness, in her hands, a scythe was created as she swung the shattering blow, ending Rose, ending the hologram, and ending Project Beta-9 forever.


End file.
